White Mask
by lmh
Summary: Relena is a young girl sold to a geisha okiya. She must survive the men and women that force this life on her. She soon finds out that an intricate web of people want more from her than a drink of sake... COMPLETE.
1. chapter 1

**White Mask** by lmh

AN: This is just an experiment, read and see if you like, request more if you do!

To be historically correct, some of the **names have been changed** (usually, when girls become apprentice geisha, their birth names are changed to their geisha name).

Here are the new names:

**Lady Une: Mother**

**L. Noin: Kayumi**

**Dorothy: Kayoko** (she does NOT have those awful eyebrows)

**Sally P.: Auntie**

**Catherine: Megumi **

The year is **1935**

"Relena-chan," cried Kayumi, no response came, "Relena-chan!" she yelled again, and louder.

Down, the hallway in the kitchen, Relena was frantically trying to set up Kayumi's lunch of red adzuki beans and rice onto a tray. She was never good with food or any aspect of the kitchen for that matter. She had also just gotten back from the little school for geisha, when Kayumi had called for her. She had no idea how that woman could be so needy.

Afraid that Kayumi was going to call her again, Relena picked up the tray and scuffled down the wooden walkway as quickly as she could. She kneeled at the door to the reception room before sliding the door open. Inside, Kayumi was kneeling at the table, reading a Kabuki magazine. She promptly put it down when she saw Relena.

"Why must you always take so long to do everything?" she asked, "you're worse than that other girl, what is her name?"

"Hilde ma'am" Relena replied while she placed the food in front of Kayumi.

"Oh, I can never remember all these names," Kayumi said. She clearly was not listening to Relena, "If Mother continues to bring in more maids, I don't know what I'll do!"

Relena chose not to reply to this comment. In the few months that she had been here, she had learned two very important things: Do what you are told, and speak when you are spoken to.

Relena had just turned twelve this past month, although no one cared. A year ago, her father had sold her to the Itoo okiya, to save his crop. Relena never understood his decision. In the years before she had left her home in rural Japan, Relena had heard her father and mother complaining about their financial situation. Her older brother had left their small village to go and make a living. He promised to return with money to save their farm, but after four years, they had given up all hope. Her parents were always hoping that she would marry into a well-off family, and in turn help them, but things just don't work that way. In any case, the financial expenses were pressing in on them, year after year. With the death of her beloved mother, her father must have broken. A few months later, Relena found herself on a train to a place called Kyoto. Now she was here in Gion, the world's most famous geisha district. She still didn't quite understand her position here, but they had food, money, and a place to sleep.

When she arrived, there were other people living within the okiya already. There was Mother, who ran the okiya. Mother wasn't actually everyone's mother, but it was tradition to call the mistress of one's okiya by that name, and so Relena did. There was Auntie, who was a few years younger than Mother. Auntie used to be a geisha, but when she angered the previous mistress, she was beaten, and her hip broke. She was no longer a geisha and sadly walked with a great limp. Kayumi was the okiya's principle earner, and top geisha. She was a needy woman, always calling after Relena to do things for her. She took great fun in taunting Hilde, commenting on how she smelled because she came from a fishing village. Of course she didn't smell, Kayumi just wanted something to say. Hilde was the other young girl like Relena. She was also sold to the okiya. She and Relena had managed to form some sort of friendship in the strange place. Then there was Kayoko, Kayumi's younger sister. Kayoko was fourteen, and an apprentice geisha. There was no doubt in anyone's mind the Kayoko was a beautiful girl. For some reason she picked on Relena, like Kayumi picked on Hilde, though, Kayoko was much crueler.

Relena had been so deep in her thoughts, that she didn't notice Kayumi's hand waving her to go away. Once she noticed, she quickly bowed and apologized, and made a hasty retreat. As she left, Kayumi was making more complaints about Relena's incompetence.

Relena walked down the corridor, and back into the kitchen. No one was there, she noticed, and was glad. Now she could be alone in her thoughts. She didn't like this strange place at all. The people were so cruel, the teachers at the school that she and Hilde went to in the mornings were horrible, and worst of all, Relena had heard nothing from her father. She had hoped for the longest time that he would send her a letter informing her that her stay in Gion was temporary, and that he would be coming for her soon. But days went by with no word. The days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months. She had verbalized her worries often, much to the annoyance of everyone in the okiya. Mother never really answered her inquiries, so Relena grew even more distraught. Kayoko found this all quite humorous and often chastised Relena about it.

"Relena-chan, would you please check the mail for me?" she would say, "I have an important letter coming."

Of course, there was no letter, and Kayoko was still just an apprentice of low standing. But she was older that Relena, and Relena had to do what she said.

Neither Mother nor Auntie took pity on Relena. Neither of them told Kayoko to stop her taunting. Mother only cared about how much money her geisha made. As long as Kayoko wasn't costing the okiya any money, she could taunt Relena as much as she pleased.

Thus was Relena's life, and would probably be as long as she lived. Just the thought of living out the rest of her life as a maid, in this place made her chin quiver. Before she realized it, tears were dropping from her face. She brushed them away as soon as they came; it would be horrible for some one to find her in the kitchen doing nothing but crying.

To get her mind on a different subject, she decided to go upstairs and begin cleaning the rooms. She stood and composed herself before sliding the door open. She stepped out onto the wood corridor and made her way upstairs.

There were four rooms upstairs. The largest belonged to Kayumi and Kayoko. Usually, there were at least five geisha living together in one okiya, and they all would sleep in the same room. Since Kayumi and Kayoko were the only geisha in the okiya now, they were the only ones occupying that room. The second largest room was where Relena and Hilde slept. Both of them used to sleep in the maids room downstairs, but since they had begun taking classes at the school, Mother made the decision to move them upstairs. In time, if things went right, Relena and Hilde would move in with Kayumi and Kayoko. The next room was Mother's room. This was definitely the most ornately decorated room in the house. Most of the relics and jewels that Mother showcased where gifts from her rich patrons when she was a geisha. Auntie had the smallest room, not to say that she should feel cramped. She was the only one living in that room, and it was quite spacious with just one person in it.

She first went about cleaning Auntie's room, and then Mother's. She didn't bother with her room, because she could always do that when she was done with all her chores. The last room that she went into was Kayumi and Kayoko's room. She hated cleaning this room. Not only because both Kayumi and Kayoko were very messy, but also because she didn't like being caught in the room. Of course no one was going to punish her for cleaning the room that was her job. What she feared was having Kayumi and Kayoko coming in on her while she was cleaning. Both of them never failed to find something to say to her. So she always cleaned the room as quick as she could.

It seemed today though, was not going to favor her. When she was dusting Kayoko's makeup stand, Kayoko herself sauntered into the room. Kayoko was only two years older than Relena, but she still held a higher position. She was small, but not so tiny as to be called petite. She and Relena were about the same height. Like, Relena, she had golden hair, but dyed it black so as to seem more Japanese. Everyone in the okiya knew that she was from a foreign country, but it didn't really matter. If Kayoko wasn't so cruel, Relena could permit herself to like her. At the sight of Relena, she smiled a disturbing grin, one that she reserved for when she was feeling mischievous.

"What are you doing to my makeup stand?" she asked, still smiling that smile.

"I was only dusting it" Relena replied nervously.

Kayoko stared back at her. She began to say something, but stopped herself. She walked over to where Relena was kneeling, and ordered her to stand. As soon as Relena was upright, Kayoko reached out and grabbed Relena's chin. Relena gasped at the sudden movement, but said nothing for fear of provoking Kayoko. Kayoko began turning her face this way and that, examining her it seemed. When she appeared pleased, Kayoko let go of Relena's face. Relena put her hand to her chin and cradled it. Kayoko had grasped Relena as if she was ringing a towel.

Kayoko smiled at Relena, "How peculiar," she said, "I've seen your face some where before. I've lived in Gion most of my life; I know I've seen it."

Relena didn't know quite how to answer this, so she didn't say anything. Kayoko broke her gaze and knelt at her makeup stand. She began to rearrange things, and go through the drawers as if she thought Relena had taken something.

"Next time you're in here, don't touch my things." She said.

"But Kayoko-san, how will I dust then?" Relena boldly asked.

Kayoko turned to look at her, she was no longer smiling.

"Don't touch my things. Now get out."

"Kayoko-san, I'm not done dusting..." Relena began. Kayoko stood up and stretched herself to her full height.

"You're very stupid aren't you?" she sneered, "You're a stupid farm girl who doesn't know her place. You must be rubbing off on me, I feel like an idiot just by looking at you! We can't have that now, can we?"

Relena hung her head, only because it was the proper thing to do. If she could do what she really wanted, Kayoko would have a red mark across her face, from Relena's hand hitting her.

"How can I become a successful geisha with you around? All the men will notice how dumb I am, won't they? They will say: 'oh Kayoko-san, you never say anything clever, why is that?' What will I tell them?"

She was looking at Relena in a way to suggest that she wanted an answer. Relena answered her, almost in the way she wanted.

"You can say: 'I'm so sorry sir but, I'm becoming stupid like an ignorant farm girl!" Relena boldly said. Kayoko continued to smile, though Relena knew she was infuriated.

"What man will want to talk with an ignorant farm girl?" she said, "I don't want to be like you, you don't want that either, do you?"

"No, Kayoko-san" Relena said reluctantly.

Kayoko gave a little huff as if she was annoyed. She reached into the sleeve of her kimono and pulled out a little coin purse.

"You miss your home, don't you?" she asked sympathetically. Relena didn't answer. "I can help you, if only you let me."

Relena wanted to believe that Kayoko could help her, but she didn't like the way Kayoko was looking at her.

"Hold out your hand" she ordered. Relena had no choice but to obey.

Kayoko reached into the coin purse and pulled out a few bills and coins. She dropped them into Relena's outstretched hand. Relena was aghast at how much money Kayoko had given, or rather put into her hand.

"Kayoko-san, I can't possibly take this money, what will I do with it?" Relena asked.

"Stupid girl, it is money to help you escape. The quicker you are gone, the better it is." replied Kayoko.

She smiled at her, and a few moments later, exited the room.

Relena was shocked that Kayoko gave her money. She must have wanted something in return. What she could give her, she didn't know. She did miss her home though, and at times she did think about escaping. Kayoko had given her enough money for at least two people; she could bring Hilde along with her. Hilde was also miserable here.

She thought nothing more of it and tucked the money into her obi, and left the room.

The next morning, Relena and Hilde were scuttling as fast as they could to the little school for geisha. Hilde was always terribly afraid of being late, so she always woke up much earlier than she needed to.

They made their way down the streets of Gion on their way to school, when Relena spotted a very familiar person walking towards them.

It was a man, older than them, much older in fact, at least nine years. He had long silver hair, held down by a grey handkerchief. He was dressed in a men's kimono, and walked with a certain presence; to look at him, made Relena yearn for home.

They didn't stop walking, rather, Relena was staring at him with such intensity, that she wasn't paying much attention to anything else. As he drew closer, his gazed descended to meet hers. In that instant, Relena felt such a jolt speed up and down her spine, _she knew this man_, somehow she knew him.

Before she could ponder her thoughts any longer, she felt her foot catch on something. The next moment, she was falling towards the ground, and then into the man's arms. He had caught her.

She felt mortified that she had done something so foolish in front of such a man. She quickly got to her feet and bowed, offering many apologies. The man didn't say anything to her; he only looked at her quizzically. He smiled, and then continued on his way. Hilde grabbed Relena's arm and began to pull her towards the school.

"Hurry! We'll be late for sure now!" she cried.

"Who was that?" Relena asked, now running along side Hilde.

"I don't know, he seemed important," she shook her head, "But what does it matter? We are late now!"

"Hilde, we still have plenty of time, don't worry!" Relena said and laughed.

So how was it? This is just a test, to see if people actually want to read more of my writing. If you do, please review, all kinds are welcome (even flames, constructive criticism....). So maybe we'll see more in the future...


	2. chapter 2

**White Mask** by lmh

Hey everyone. Thanks to all for the reviews! Getting such enthusiastic mail from people certainly encourages me to continue! So I'll do my best to please and entertain you all. Also, check my profile for news and updates! If there are any terms that you don't understand or questions that you have, be sure to e-mail me.

Again, there are more people being introduced, and with different names:

**Lady Une: Mother**

**Catherine: Megumi**

**Sylvia Noventa: Tomomi**

**May, 1936 **

**Relena** awoke to a great noise outside her door. She groggily lifted her head from her futon, not relishing the fact if there was a mess, she would have to clean it up. She rolled onto her other side to see if Hilde had woken up as well. As she expected, Hilde was also creeping out from under her futon. She turned her head to Relena; her face had a look of confusion on it.

"What are they doing?" she asked, not fully awake.

"I don't know," Relena answered, "I heard plates breaking, and then a great deal of yelling."

"I hope they don't make a mess!" Hilde said. It seemed as if she wanted to say more, but Tatsumi, the eldest maid, slid open the door and frowned at them.

"What are you doing still in bed?" she hissed, "Hurry! Get up you lazy girls! We need your help in the hallway!"

"What is wrong Tatsumi-san?" Relena asked as she got out of her futon. Hilde was doing the same.

"Oh, one of the maids spilled ink onto the kimono that was set out for Kayoko. Once Kayoko saw, she pushed her out into the hallway and knocked the ink tray out of her hands."

"Who was it?"

"Eriko." replied Tatsumi.

Relena and Hilde gasped. Eriko was a few years older than them, just a few months older than Kayoko. She had been an apprentice geisha on the brink of her _mizuage_. A few weeks after the bidding had begun, a rumor had begun that Eriko was found in an alleyway with a young ramen vendor. The rumor wasn't true, but the damage had been done. After the word got out about the young ramen vendor, no man wanted Eriko's _mizuage_, and her older sister (from another okiya) broke off her bonds, fearing for her reputation. Eriko's standing in Gion was destroyed, and Mother discontinued her career. When Relena had arrived at the okiya, Eriko was always very kind to her, slipping her extra bits of food, and offering advice on how to survive in the okiya. Neither Hilde nor Relena believed that Eriko could have ruined a kimono.

"No! Eriko would never do that!" Hilde said as she was putting on her robe. Tatsumi came around to tie Hilde's obi, and proceeded to tie Relena's.

"Well, Kayoko found Eriko with the ink tray in her hand. As much of a devil Kayoko is, her word is still better than Eriko's. Now hurry and help with the mess!" She ordered and left the room in a hustle.

Relena looked at Hilde who had moved towards the open door. Hilde shook her head as she turned to face Relena. Her brows were furrowed with worry. Relena understood what she was feeling; there was no way that Eriko could be guilty.

Both of them exited the room, only to be greeted by chaos. Black ink was spilled everywhere, pieces of broken plates were scattered all over, and people were yelling at one another. Auntie hobbled out of her room with a bamboo stick. Once she saw Relena and Hilde, she ordered them to begin cleaning up the mess. She handed them wet towels. Immediately they both got down on their knees and began to scrub the floor. Hilde sighed as she rolled her sleeves up.

"Look at this!" she said, "We'll never be able to get all the ink off!"

Relena opened her mouth to answer, but the door to Kayumi and Kayoko's room slid open. Kayumi, Kayoko, Mother, and Eriko emerged from the room. Eriko was in tears, and began to cry even harder once she saw auntie with the bamboo stick. Kayumi looked very distressed. She complained to Mother as if she had been attacked by a vagrant off the street. Kayoko, however, came out with the worst look on her face. She had contorted it to make herself seem so angry, all while looking like the victim, just like Kayumi. Relena lifted her head to look Kayoko strait in the eye.

"Eriko, I'm disappointed. Ever since you began apprenticeship as a geisha, you've been nothing but trouble!" Mother said, "Auntie will meet you downstairs". She then returned to her room.

Eriko burst into a fit, and followed Auntie down the stairs. Hilde looked after her and grumbled something to herself, Relena was still looking at Kayoko. Kayoko saw this and turned to Relena. The angered face was now replaced with her smile.

"What are you looking at?" she snapped. Relena didn't back down, Kayoko's smile hardened.

"Well, we won't see her anymore," Kayumi said, "Good riddance! Imagine, how successful she would have been if her _mizuage_ had gone through!" she smiled at Kayoko and went back into her room.

"Poor Eriko!" Kayoko said, "It's so hard to live in such a competitive world!"

"You destroyed the kimono yourself! Then you put the ink tray into Eriko's hands!" Relena hissed.

"Be very careful Relena-chan," she said, "Who knows, you may someday find yourself in a similar position!" She then followed Kayumi into the room.

Hilde turned to Relena and shook her head.

"Why did you say that? She will tell Kayumi, and then they will both destroy you!"

"No," Relena said defiantly, "I've had enough of this. A year of their tyranny, I won't stand for it!"

"What will you do?" Hilde retorted, "You're still just a maid. You can't do anything until someone decides to be your older sister, even then, they can still do you harm."

"Kayumi and Kayoko are devils! Since we have been here, they have done nothing but make us look bad. Kayumi endlessly teases you, and Kayoko tricked me into taking money from her!" Relena said.

It was true. A few days after Kayoko had placed her money in Relena's hands, she went to Mother and said that Relena had stolen some of her possessions, and sold them for a train ticket. Mother decided to have the cost of Kayoko's possessions added to Relena's debt, and she had Auntie beat Relena with the bamboo stick, it hurt tremendously. Soon, Relena found herself accumulating more debt than she could ever repay. Relena was furious with Kayoko after that. She decided that no matter what, she would become a geisha and run Kayumi and Kayoko out of Gion. However, Hilde did have a point. They were both lowly geisha in training, waiting for someone to become their older sister.

"Well," Hilde sighed, "What can we do?"

Relena continued to scrub. She began to think of something they could do, when her thoughts were interrupted by ear splitting cries from below.

"Oh!" Hilde whispered with a tremble in her voice.

It had to be Auntie beating Eriko. Relena wanted to cover her ears, but she continued to scrub.

"First, we need to make sure to do well in our classes," she said trying to make her voice audible over Eriko's screaming, "We must show Mother that we can become successful geisha. Only then will she begin looking for propositions."

Hilde shook her head. Eriko's cries had stopped, and they could hear people coming up the stairs.

"You make it sound so easy, but it won't be. Kayumi is no fool, neither is Kayoko."

"I know," Relena whispered, Auntie and Mother were in the hallway now, "But we have to try."

"What are you two whispering about?" Mother asked. She had come up behind them with Auntie behind her, puffing smoke out from her pipe.

"Oh, Hilde-chan and I were thinking of the best way to get all of this ink off the floor, Mother" Relena quickly answered.

"Don't mind them Mother, you have enough things to worry about" Auntie said, "Like, what we are going to do with Eriko, and this floor!"

Mother removed the pipe from her mouth and blew a long string of smoke into the air.

"I know exactly what to do with her." She said. Auntie hastily replied, for although she didn't look it, she was a kind woman, and cared for Relena, Hilde and even Eriko as if they were her own.

"It has been an expensive morning Mother," she said, "And as much as I would like to get rid of Eriko as well, we have to consider her expenses! If she were to leave, who would pay off her debts?"

Mother was silent for a few moments, thinking about what Auntie had said. Relena knew that she would consider keeping Eriko, after hearing what Auntie said. All Mother cared about was money. Everything she looked at meant money to her. She knew everything about all of her partners in Gion. Walking down Shijo Avenue behind her one day, Relena listend as she pointed out everyone that she knew, and their different situations. She would say: 'Oh, there is Tsubame, who nearly burned her older sister's complete collection of kimono last month! How unfortunate to be so stupid!' or some such thing. So there was no doubt in Relena's mind, that she would seriously consider Auntie's proposition.

"Let me think about it," she said, "Besides, we shouldn't be speaking of such matters in front of the maids." At that, she slid the door to her room open, and shut it once she was in.

Auntie heavily sighed as she limped over to Relena and Hilde.

"You may as well stop scrubbing, that ink will never come up," she said, "You're late for school as well, you had better hurry!"

Hilde let out a little cry of worry. In all the commotion, they had both forgotten about school. Both immediately dropped their rags and ran to change into their blue school robes. Relena ran down the kitchen and quickly packed her breakfast into a lunchbox. Hilde had ran down the stairwell now, and was calling for her from the front door.

"We have no time for that!" she said.

Hilde was on the brink of tears when they finally managed to get out the door.

"Oh! That Kayoko is the devil! I almost have the mind to go along with your plan now!" she fumed.

Relena's spirits lifted at what Hilde had said.

"You know that I can't do it alone," she said in between huffs, "I need you help Hilde"

Hilde nodded, "I know, I'll do my best!"

Relena smiled at her, if they were smart about it, they could succeed in her plan.

**When** they reached the school, the bell for classes to begin had just rang. They had no time for breakfast, so both their stomachs were growling very much.

They removed their _geta _and placed them in their cubbies. Both of then had _shamisen_ lesson first, so with great haste, they made their way down the wooden walkway and into a classroom.

Each classroom in the school was not what one would expect. They were each traditional Japanese tatami rooms, and had a wooden plank at the front of the room with hooks on them. This is where the girls would hang their name plaques so the teacher would know who came to class, and who didn't.

Hilde placed her name in front of Relena's; then they both took a seat and began to assemble their shamisen.

"I think I know how to get a geisha interested in us" Relena whispered to Hilde.

"How? We can't just go up to someone and say: 'will you be my older sister?' we will be turned down instantly!" Hilde said.

"I know that. We will have to manipulate people"

"Oh Relena-chan, I don't want to be like Kayumi and Kayoko. I'm not going to fool people into doing something that they wouldn't have done otherwise!" said Hilde.

"I don't mean it like that!" Relena retorted, "I just mean suggesting something that one can interpret any which way. It's not anything like Kayumi and Kayoko's ways."

Hilde shook her head, "It still sounds awful to me" she said.

As Relena just finished tuning her shamisen, Teacher Okada entered the room. At once everything fell silent; everyone watched her sit at the front of the room. She said good morning, and in reply, the class said good morning back, and bowed. Teacher Okada looked behind her to view the name plaques that had been placed; her eyes immediately went to the very last plaque. Luckily, Relena and Hilde were able to get into the classroom sooner then a few girls who were late. The plaque that Teacher Okada happened to see belonged to a girl named Chika, who had a terribly long face.

"How is it possible that you are always the last one here?" Teacher Okada yelled, "I can't waste my time with lazy girls, make sure to get her first tomorrow!"

Chika hung her head and apologized for her laziness. Really, she wasn't late at all, and she wasn't always the last one to put her name up. This was just what Teacher Okada said to any girl whose name was last. Today, it was Chika.

After her rant, Teacher Okada assembled her shamisen, and began plucking away at it. She instructed for everyone to follow, and not everyone could mimic her perfectly. After the first note, she had plenty to say.

"You there!" she said and pointed to a girl next to Relena, "Why do you stick your tongue out? Is there a bit of food on your cheek that you are trying to eat?"

The girl recoiled her tongue back into her mouth.

"No ma'am" she replied.

"Don't stick it out then!" Teacher Okada said, and continued on with the lesson.

Relena was always appalled at how mean the teacher at the school could be. Some even had such grudges against a student that she would deliberately pick at her everyday. This is one reason that Relena had always made sure to do well in her studies, and try not to attract that kind of attention from the teachers.

Her next class was dance, her favorite. She was very good at dancing, and all her teachers knew it. This is where Relena began her plan.

If a student becomes the favorite of a teacher, the teacher will often be very kind to her student, and frequently use her as a good example. The school wasn't inhabited with only young girls, older geisha, and apprentices also attended the school, to keep up their talents. And even though the task of finding an older sister was left to the mistress of the okiya, teachers at the geisha school also had some sway. Say if a prominent geisha was strolling through the halls of the school. One of her favorite teachers might come out of her classroom to talk with her. During the polite conversation, the teacher might let slip that she fears for the future of one of her very talented students. The geisha may ask why, and the teacher would say that this student is so talented, but having a very hard time to find an older sister who is competent enough to cultivate those talents. The geisha, who is always looking for a new project, might become intrigued and ask for the girl's name. She even might visit the girl's okiya later, to see if it is even worth her time.

This is what Relena had in mind. If she could put herself in the high esteems of a teacher, then that teacher might do just what Relena wanted her to. All that was needed on her part was a few words of worry to the teacher, and the seeds would be planted. Luckily for her, the dance teacher, Teacher Tanaka, liked her very much. Relena was always used as a good example, and Teacher Tanaka always had good things to say about her.

She entered the dance classroom, and placed her name at the front of the plaque board. This was the first step. A good student was always the first in the classroom. She took her seat at the front of the room and watched as all the other girls trickled in. As each one senior to her passes, she gave a little smile and bowed to be polite. Then Teacher Tanaka entered the room. Like Teacher Okada, she greeted the class, and then the class replied and bowed.

The class went by fairly quick. As usual, Relena was used for a good example, and often demonstrated new steps that they were learning. After the class was lunch, when all the girls would return to their okiyas and consume a short meal. Relena, however, walked up to Teacher Tanaka holding her breakfast in the box that she had packed earlier that morning. She waited until Teacher Tanaka turned to her and then began to speak.

"Excuse me Tanaka-sensee; I wasn't very hungry this morning, so I thought: 'Why let all this food go to waste?' I brought it here to see if you would enjoy it." She said as politely as she could.

"How thoughtful of you Relena, thank you." She said and took the box, "Please, sit with me while I eat."

Relena bowed in thanks and sat beside her, this is just what she wanted. Though, watching Teacher Tanaka eat her food did make her stomach churn, but Teacher Tanaka didn't offer her any.

"Teacher, if I may, I have something I would like you to confide in."

Teacher Tanaka put down the food and quizzically looked at Relena. Although this was part of Relena's plan, it wasn't very common for girls to confide in their teachers. Teacher Tanaka may get the idea that Relena had no shame, and didn't care who her secrets were repeated to, but this is what Relena wanted.

"Of course," she replied, "What is troubling you?"

'Well, as you know, I have been going to the school her for quite some time, and I am getting to the age where a girl must think of her future."

"It is good that you are" Teacher Tanaka said.

"Yes, well, I heard Mother, Mrs. Itoo, complaining to herself about how she couldn't find anyone to become my older sister."

This wasn't entirely true, though Mother did say something about having Kayumi take on another younger sister, and Relena didn't want that for her or Hilde.

"I can imagine!" Teacher Tanaka replied, "With talents such as yours, one can't just throw them onto any geisha!"

"You must have read my mind! Personally, I don't think I'm better than anyone else here, it's just that I don't want to be a maid for the rest of my life!"

Teacher Tanaka nodded, and pondered what Relena had said for a few minutes.

"Also," Relena added, "There is another girl in my okiya with the same problem, and her name is Hilde. Oh how we worry!"

"You poor thing," Teacher Tanaka said, "I understand how you must feel, having gone though the same thing myself."

"This is why I wanted to confide in you Teacher. But please, do not mention this to anyone else; I don't want to seem too desperate!" Relena said, knowing perfectly well that Teacher Tanaka wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut.

Teacher Tanaka nodded her head, and continued to eat. A few moments later, Relena mentioned that she had to go, and excused herself.

**That** afternoon in the okiya, Relena was relaying what was said between Teacher Tanaka and herself to Hilde. They were in their room, and talking as quietly as they could.

"You said all that?" Hilde asked, "You sound like Kayumi!"

"I know, but how else would I have talked to her? Really, the trick to this plan is to build everyone's opinion of themselves. Then leave the rest to their imagination."

Hilde let a small laugh escape, "Oh Relena, you are going to make such a good geisha! You're so clever."

Relena blushed at Hilde's comment, "Please, I'll only be able to say that when we outsmart Kayumi and Kayoko."

Just then, the door slid open, and Eriko entered.

"Eriko!" Hilde exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"Mother let me stay!" she said as she shut the door, "She said that I could repay her by working as a maid. It's not what I hoped for, but at least I'm not out in the streets."

She had come over to where Hilde and Relena were sitting. They all embraced each other and began to laugh.

"We're so happy for you!" Relena said. Eriko nodded.

"What were you talking about?" she asked.

Hilde looked to Relena uneasily. Relena could tell that she wasn't sure about informing Eriko. Relena however, intended to.

"We have a plan, and want your help" she said. Hilde eventually nodded.

"A plan? What is it?" Eriko asked, leaning in.

"We want to get rid of Kayumi and Kayoko," Hilde said, "We want them out of Gion!"

Eriko clapped her hands together in delight and giggled.

"Of course I will help you! There is nothing more I would like to see than Kayoko in a plain robe on the street! But, how will you do it? They may act like foolish girls, but they aren't."

"This morning at the school, Relena confided in the dance teacher that Mother was having trouble finding someone to be our older sisters, that there was no geisha competent enough. We are hoping that the teacher will tell other well-known geisha about our 'problem'." Hilde said.

"That sounds good, but that can't be the only thing that you count on. One teacher isn't going to get the word out." Eriko commented

"What can be done then?" asked Relena.

Eriko frowned, thinking of what she could do.

"Well, I have become friends with a maid, her name is Tomomi. Her mistress is Megumi, the most successful, beautiful, and popular geisha in Gion."

"Oh Eriko! That's perfect!" Hilde exclaimed, "You can ask Tomomi for a favor, and have her talk to Megumi!"

"In a tactful way of course" Relena said. Both Hilde and Eriko nodded.

"Leave this part to me," Eriko said, "I just have to wait until I'm sent on an errand."

Relena was about to tell Eriko to visit Tomomi when she went to the bathhouse tomorrow morning, but the door slid open, and Kayoko walked in. She frowned when she saw Eriko, but then smiled.

"I see Mother decided to keep you," she said and kneeled at the table beside Relena. She sat down so close to her, that Relena had wriggle to give her some room, "I don't know what she is thinking! If I were her, I would want to get rid of all the clumsy maids."

No one replied to her comment, they all had things that they wanted to say, but it would be disastrous if they did.

"What were you all giggling about? Hmm? I heard so much laughing that I decided to see what was going on. I hope you're not gossiping, because that wouldn't be nice."

"No, of course not Kayoko-san" Hilde replied.

Kayoko put her hand to her stomach and made a face to suggest that it hurt.

"I'm hungry, aren't you girls?" she asked, "Eriko, go out and find a noodle vendor, and get us some."

Eriko began to get up when Kayoko corrected herself.

"Wait! We can't send you to a noodle vendor; you'll just end up disgracing yourself again. Go get us some udon instead."

Relena and Hilde could tell that Eriko was hurt by this, but watched her intently as she left the room, this was her chance to see Tomomi. Kayoko saw their exchange of glances, and smiled. She waited until she heard Eriko shut the front door behind her before speaking.

"You're gossiping about something," she said, "Tell me what you were talking about."

Hilde hung her head, she wasn't going to think of anything quick enough, so Relena chimed in.

"It is of no concern to you Kayoko-san. I'm sure that you don't want to waste your time bothering with us." she said.

Kayoko smiled, "I'm not stupid like you. What did you say? Tell me or else Mother will learn about you and your boyfriend."

"But Kayoko-san, Relena doesn't have a boyfriend" Hilde said.

"I know, but Mother doesn't know that."

Relena frowned at Kayoko, while Hilde gasped.

"All right," Relena said, "Hilde and I were just saying how afraid we were that Mother was going to throw Eriko out into the street. We were so happy when she came to see us just now."

Kayoko smiled, "I suppose that is something to be happy about; but who knows what she will do next? I wouldn't count on her staying her much longer."

Kayoko seemed to believe what Relena had told her, so it was left at that. They sat in silence, with Kayoko glancing back and forth between Relena to Hilde. Neither of them let their faces give anything away though.

Almost a full hour later, Eriko came back with three lunch boxes of udon and sea bream.

"It took you that long to get udon?" Kayoko asked, "Where else did you go?"

"Forgive me Kayoko-san, but I dropped the lunch boxes and had to get another set. The restaurant was so busy too!"

Kayoko didn't seem to believe her, but didn't say anything more. As she left, Eriko gave a little smile to Relena and Hilde, she had gotten to Tomomi.

The rest of the meal was spent in silence.

**Days** passed without one word from anyone. Relena didn't expect geisha to be clamoring to become her and Hilde's older sisters, but she couldn't help but worry that her plan wasn't working.

On a Sunday morning, when she was changing the winter weight kimono for the summer weight kimono, Auntie came hobbling upstairs as fast as she could. She nearly trampled Relena trying to get to Mother's room. When she got to Mother's door, she rapped on it loudly, bringing out an annoyed Mother.

"What is it?" Mother snapped.

"You have a visitor Mother" Auntie said in between gasps.

"Now you're doing the maids' job Auntie? Maybe I should get rid of them and have you do all the work instead!" Mother replied. She couldn't help but laugh at her own joke.

"Please Mother, I wanted to tell you my self, It Megumi-san."

Relena's heart skipped a beat when she heard this. Her plan was working! Mother also seemed shocked. She turned around and went back into her room.

"Auntie, fix my hair and make-up please" Relena could hear her say. She was shocked; Mother never let anyone touch her hair besides her hairdresser.

After Auntie fiddled around with Mother's hair, they both made their way down to the reception room. Relena heard them greet Megumi, and Megumi greet them in return. Other formalities were exchanged, and then a door was slid shut. Relena couldn't hear anything after that. She decided to finish with the kimono, and then go down the kitchen, and act like she was cleaning. However, Auntie came back up the stairs and sent Relena out on an errand.

When she returned to the okiya, Megumi was slipping her feet into her pair of red lacquered _zori. _She had on a beautiful light blue kimono with a pattern of butterflies and dragonflies swirling around in the wind, backed buy a beautiful sunset of gold and silver. Relena felt herself insecure and insignificant in her presence.

"Thank you for your visit Megumi-san, I'm sure we will be seeing you in the future!" Mother said as she came up behind her.

"Oh yes Mrs. Itoo, I look forward to it!" she said and bowed.

As, she left, she barely looked at Relena, but Relena bowed to her and didn't come up until she was gone.

"Relena, I would like to see you" Mother said.

Relena followed her into the reception room and kneeled opposite of her. Mother took a while lighting her pipe. She then looked at Relena with a puzzled look.

"What have you done to provoke Kayumi?" she asked.

"Nothing Mother!" Relena replied.

Mother looked at her intently, and puffed on her pipe. She pulled out her date book and skimmed throughout the month. She then proceeded to look though her almanac, checking for auspicious days. For what, Relena didn't know.

"Clear your day next Thursday," she said, "Auntie will take you to the hairdresser."

"I'm sorry Mother, but I don't understand." Relena said.

"I don't know what you have been doing behind my back, but Megumi-san has come here today to request that you become her new younger sister."

Relena almost screamed in delight, her goal was within reach now.

When Megumi-san sees it fit, you will begin your apprenticeship as a geisha."

**There** is chapter two, hope you enjoyed it. Please review and tell me what you think. Again, check my profile for any updates or events, and for more in-depth questions, comments, or anything you can e-mail me (check my profile for the address).

See you in chapter three!


	3. chapter 3

White Mask by lmh

Wow! So many reviews! Thank you so much to everyone who is reading this, it really means a lot to me. I've been getting great comments, and good constructive criticism (**Purdy**….). So thanks again, e-mail me with any questions, comments!

Well, there are more new names! I don't mean to confuse you, I'm just trying to be accurate! So, here they are:

**Relena: Aikyou**

**Hilde: Kazue**

**AN**: 4 things: **1)** I changed some of the characters ages also, to make the story flow better, so stretch your minds please! **2)** I forgot to mention before, please assume that everyone is Japanese unless stated otherwise. **3)** TYPO!! In chapter 2, Kayoko sent Eriko (an OC) out to get _udon_ for the girls…right after she said she wouldn't send her to a noodle vendor. Actually, _udon_ is a type of noodle; I meant to say _fugu_, bloat fish. Sorry for the awful mistake! **4)** Please forgive the inaccuracies when history (primarily WWII history) comes into the story, my memory is very hazy…

A young man, Heero Yuy, sat cross-legged on cushion in a tatami room. He was sitting at the corner of a table that sat in the middle of the room. He looked around at all the men sitting in a u-shape around the table, and all the geisha that were entertaining them. His new business partner, Duo Maxwell, had let himself be taken in to a drinking game, and was too far gone to be saved.

"Yuy-san!" he called from across the table, "Come help me win this next round! These geisha are too clever!" he said. His face was splotchy red from the sake that he had taken in.

Heero put his sake cup down, and waited for the geisha next to him to fill it again.

"I don't think I could help you if I tried" he replied back. The geisha beside him, an apprentice named Kazue, filled his cup, but couldn't help laughing at Duo.

Duo shook his head as Kazue stood and moved to his side. She waved to the other apprentice sitting beside Duo, and then sat next to her. Kazue whispered something into the geisha's ears, and then they both laughed.

"What are you two planning?" Duo asked.

"Oh Kayoko-san and I are trying to think of the best way to help you win Maxwell-san!" Kazue said.

"Kayumi-san has done a fine job in getting you drunk!" Kayoko said, and they both laughed.

"Mr. Maxwell, I've never seen anyone with such a low tolerance for alcohol before!" Quatre Raberba Winner said.

Heero huffed to himself, trying not to chuckle. Since coming to Kyoto to expand his manufacturing and shipping business, he had seen many changes occur in his life. He was born into a well off family, but they were still peasants considered to some. His father had a small fishing company in Tokyo. During the First World War though, the business suffered, and closed. Eventually, his father enlisted in the army to support the family. Those years had been hard, the family was poor, his father was gone (and possibly dead), and his sister eventually married into a family, the Daishi family, of low income, even lower than theirs. A year after her marriage, she died while giving birth to a child. His poor mother couldn't bear the loss of her daughter, and demanded repayment from the Daishi family for their failure to take care of her only daughter. They gave over her granddaughter, Asami. With his father gone, and his sister dead, Heero was left to care for the family, including the new addition.

Unfortunately, Heero's father did not come back. He decided that if he was going to survive, then he would have to begin working. So he re-opened the fishing business, and everything grew from there. Eventually, Heero found himself at the head of one of Japan's most successful shipping business. As of late, he traveled to America, and met Duo Maxwell, a rich manufacturing businessman from New York. Duo had convinced Heero to merge their businesses and begin one of their own. Now they had the Yuy-Maxwell partnership, and were a very popular partnership at that.

Duo could be obnoxious at times, Heero thought to himself, but he did have good ideas that the company benefited from. His most recent was to bring in outside investors to increase the value of the company stock, and get their name out into the world. So Duo contacted Quatre Raberba Winner, a very rich and very famous Arabic businessman who specialized in stock brokerage. Duo suggested his services to help the country rebuild itself after the stock market crash years ago.

Quatre was a very responsible man. Duo, however, liked to play with the ladies, and especially liked the geisha of Japan. He always let himself be coaxed into drinking games. And now, he was very drunk, possibly near to death, but he didn't seem to care.

Duo tapped his empty sake cup on the table and coughed a drunken cough.

"Let's have another round! Kazue, fill my cup!" he ordered.

Kazue bowed while laughing. She poured more sake into his cup.

"Maxwell-san, I don't think you should play another round! You're very drunk!" Kayoko said.

"Nonsense! I'm perfectly fine!" he replied, and drowned the sake before the game even started.

He began to hassle Kazue to fill his cup again, but Heero reached across the table and plucked the cup out of Duo's hands.

"You have had enough for tonight Maxwell-san" he said.

Kazue and Kayoko laughed once again, joined by Quatre and Kayumi.

"My younger sisters are no fun!" Kayumi whined, "I've made them much too clever!"

"Oh Kayumi-san, you think to little of yourself!" Kayoko said, "We should be grateful to have such an older sister as you!"

Kayumi hid her face behind her sleeve to show her embarrassment. She shrugged off their comments in humbleness. Heero could see through her though. He could see through all geisha he had ever met. To him, they really weren't a source of entertainment, but whenever he had guests, he always brought them to Gion, only because that is what they wanted, to see the world famous geisha district. Now that Duo was his partner, they always traveled to Gion. Duo enjoyed the geisha, and so did Quatre, but to a lesser extent.

Heero had met only one geisha that was truly entertaining. Every time he came to Gion, he always asked for Megumi. Megumi was the only geisha that Heero considered to be intelligible. She never pressed him to play a drinking game, and she always had interesting stories to tell and could hold a good conversation. Even when Heero didn't feel like talking, she was content to sit beside him and fill his sake cup when he wanted. If Megumi didn't already have a _danna, _Heero would have looked into becoming one himself. Though, he was satisfied with her friendship. He had called for her this night, and expected her soon.

Kayumi and Kayoko had begun to beg Heero to let Duo try another drinking game. Kazue had made her way around the table to Quatre, and tried to get him interested in the game, but Quatre didn't want to participate, and was fine drinking slowly from his cup.

"Mr. Yuy, is your friend coming?" Quatre asked, "Megumi, I believe."

Heero nodded, "She should be her soon, I did invite her" he replied.

"Oh Yuy-san, I'm beginning to think that you don't like our company!" Kayumi said, "Besides, Megumi-san is always so busy, I wouldn't be surprised if she forgot all about your invitation! She does that so often!"

Heero set his cup onto the table with a loud rap. Kayumi was beginning to annoy him.

"Megumi-san and I are good friends; she would not forget my invitation." He said in a low tone.

Kayumi bowed in apology, but Heero could tell that she didn't want to agree with him. It didn't bother him though; he knew that Megumi would arrive soon.

Several minutes later Megumi did walk through the door, and she had an apprentice in tow. Megumi looked beautiful, as usual. She had on a grey kimono with gold and light blue sparrows flying around the hem and up to the hip. Her white face was evenly colored, and the ornaments in her hair brightened her eyes. The apprentice next to her wore a brighter light pink kimono with a pattern of green grass with morning dew adorning them. A golden sunrise backed the landscape. The dangling obi was even brighter.

Both were stunning, however, Heero couldn't take his eyes off Megumi. It had been a long time since he had seen her, and he almost forgot that geisha could be so attractive.

Megumi and the apprentice bowed when they came in. After they shut the door, they went around the table and greeted each of the geisha in the room. By the way Megumi and Kayumi looked at each other, one would have expected that they were the best of friends greeting each other after a long period of separation, but Heero knew that they were rivals since they had been girls. Kayumi despised Megumi, and Megumi thought Kayumi a devil woman. Kayumi's younger sisters were very cordial to Megumi, as one would expect them to. However, when Kayoko and Kazue looked at the apprentice, they gave her the most abbreviated bow, it almost seemed disrespectful. Heero began to wonder if there was something going on between them.

When they were done greeting the geisha, Megumi came back round the table and keeled in front of Heero.

"Yuy-san, it is so good to see you again! I hope you are well?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm fine" he said.

"Please allow me to introduce my younger sister."

The apprentice came out from behind Megumi and bowed in front of Heero.

"Hello sir," she said, "My name is Aikyou. I am very honored to meet you, please allow me to indulge you with my presence."

Heero responded with a slight nod, which really was a kind gesture. Most men wouldn't even acknowledge an apprentice. Anyway, she bowed again, for she must have noticed his gesture, and sat to one side of him, while Megumi sat on the other side. Aikyou took up the vial of sake and prepared to pour him a cup when he needed.

"Megumi-san, you joined us at the perfect time!" Kayumi said. Aikyou looked nervously to Megumi, but Megumi stared at Kayumi. Kayumi continued, "I was just thinking of a story, but now that you brought this child with you, I don't think it appropriate."

"Story? I want to hear the story" Duo said, still very drunk. Megumi only smiled.

"She is no child; she is very much a woman. Don't you agree Yuy-san?" she said. Heero almost growled. He hated when she brought him into her arguments, and she knew it. He was saved by Duo's drunken state.

"She looks like someone I would like to know, extensively!" he said.

Megumi began to laugh as feely as she pleased, and was followed by most in the room. Kayumi, though, laughed half-heartedly.

"Well then, I'm sure you will have no objection to my story then!" Kayumi chimed.

"I want to hear it!" Duo said loudly.

Kayumi looked to Megumi and smiled.

"I would like to hear it as well," Quatre said, "As long as it isn't too inappropriate."

"Winner-san, I'm not that vulgar!" she replied.

"Oh! Such a surprise!" Megumi said, talking a risk at provoking Kayumi further. Heero knew that she wanted to get an insult in.

"When I was an apprentice, my older sister took me to a Kabuki play," Kayumi began, "I saw this woman there, she must have been foreign, because her hair was so yellow, just like this apprentice across from me."

Everyone turned to look Aikyou as Kayumi gestured towards her. It was a cruel thing for Kayumi to do, because now, most everyone would associate the apprentice with the woman in the story. Though no one could see through her white make-up, Aikyou must have been blushing horribly.

"Anyway, after the show, my older sister took me backstage to meet one of her good friends, Baijiru-san, who was an actor in the play. But when we were back there, we couldn't find Baijiru-san anywhere!"

"Well, where was he?" Duo managed to get out.

Kayumi smiled, "We searched for the longest time! Then, we heard noises coming from a closet door, strange groaning sounds!" she paused here again, only to let the worst image build in everyone's heads it seemed.

"And?" bantered Duo.

"Don't you have any imagination Maxwell-san? What could groaning sounds possibly mean?"

Duo though was too drunk too think. Heero however, knew exactly what they meant, and he knew what the point of Kayumi's story was. Kayumi sighed and rolled her eyes, as if she was trying hard not to reveal everything.

"Well, we pried open the door, and guess who were wrapped around each other like noodles?"

At this, Megumi intervened.

"Perhaps this isn't the best story to tell. Let me think of another one, and give your mind a rest Kayumi-san!"

Kayumi, though, showed no signs of giving into Megumi. She continued.

"Baijiru-san and the yellow haired woman were grabbing onto one another in the most inappropriate places and going at it like dogs! I didn't know what to do, so I ran out of the building and waited on the street!"

Duo was the only one that laughed at the story, soon joined by Kayumi, Kayoko, and Kazue. Quatre nearly choked on his sake and was now looking down into his cup nervously. Megumi looked at Kayumi with such a glare, it seemed as if she was about to lunge at her. Heero, however, set his cup down with a loud and angry rap, much like he had before. All the laughter stopped. Heero looked around the room and finally stood up.

"Excuse me, but I need to use the bathroom" he said.

Immediately, Aikyou got up and quickly made her way to the door. Kayumi smiled at her as she passed. Heero stood and followed her to the door. He glared at Kayumi as he made his way by her. Aikyou was waiting for at the open door, trying to mask her feelings of embarrassment, though Heero could see that she was very distressed. As soon as he passed through the door, Aikyou made great haste to close it behind her. Once she had done so, she began to escort him to the bathroom.

As Heero walked behind her, he took time to notice her. She had an awkward walk, probably due to the unnatural weight of the kimono that she was wearing. She seemed to slightly tilt her body forward to balance the weight of the massive obi, but stood strait as a board because of it. Her feet moved in perfect rhythm, little steps with one directly in front of the other; a good textbook example. Her hair was fashioned in the traditional "split peach" style, with the bit of vibrant red fabric forming a sort of cleft, similar to that of a peach. Heero was never a man to be taken away by his physical drives, but being reminded of what the red fabric resembled and looking at her bare ivory neck, he couldn't help but feel a slight tug in his gut.

When they reached the bathroom, Aikyou quickly open the doorway for him, and kneeled as she closed it behind him. Heero always hated being brought to the bathroom by geisha. It was meant as a polite gesture to escort the guests of the tea house to the restrooms, though Heero never liked the thought of a geisha listening to him do his bathroom business. He brushed the embarrassment away though, and quickly finished his task. As he came out through the door, Aikyou immediately stood up. She was waiting for him to move so she could close the door, but Heero only stood and looked at her. Aikyou noticed his sudden interest in her, and began to shift her weight from leg to leg.

"What was your name apprentice?" Heero asked her.

"Aikyou, sir" she quickly replied.

"Well, Aikyou, Kayumi is a geisha that does what she thinks is best for herself and whoever she is training. What she did was cruel, but you can only expect it" he said. Aikyou nodded.

"Thank you for your concern sir" she said and bowed.

She began to show him the way back to the tatami room, and opting to be unusual, Heero walked beside her.

"What okiya do you live in?" he asked. She seemed a bit puzzled by his interest, but answered him nonetheless.

"I live in the Itoo okiya sir."

"Itoo okiya, that is the okiya that Kayumi resides in, as well as her younger sisters." Heero replied, slightly amused.

"Yes, that is true," Aikyou replied, "I would have become her younger sister, though it was our Mother's decision to have Megumi-san train me instead."

"And, how do you manage to live under the same roof with the three of them?" Heero inquired.

"We all do our best to help Kayumi," she said as they reached the tatami room. Heero began to chuckle, "May I ask what is so funny?" she asked boldly as she turned to look him in the eye. Heero looked strait back.

"You say that to be polite, and you may be able to get away with that response, but your not fooling anyone, least of all me." He said, and slid the door open himself, before walking in.

Inside, Megumi was entertaining Duo and Quatre with what seemed to be a very funny story. Duo, being drunk, laughed at any time, even when it wasn't the punch line. Quatre was also enjoying the story, much more than Kayumi's, and allowed himself to laugh as freely as he pleased. It was the fist time Heero had heard him laugh so much since he came to Japan. Kayoko and Kazue were giggling as well, though Kayumi was trying to hide her anger.

Heero made his way back to his seat, followed by Aikyou. For the rest of the party, Heero spent the time talking with Aikyou, and Megumi, whenever she wasn't talking with others. Heero found that Aikyou was actually a very intelligent girl, and quite clever. She was very polite and knew her boundaries, though challenged his opinions when appropriate. This conversation could have gone on forever, but Megumi interrupted when she glanced at Heero's pocket watch.

"Oh my, is that time correct?" she asked.

"You know it is" Heero replied playfully. Megumi smiled.

"Please forgive us, but Aikyou and I must excuse ourselves. We have been invited to other engagements; you can only imagine how popular Aikyou is!"

"You don't have to go! Come and stay by me sweet lady!" Duo garbled after Megumi. Megumi laughed at his comment and made a show of being embarrassed.

"Maxwell-san, don't tease me so!" she replied.

"Come now, you know you like all the attention Megumi-san!" Kayumi said. They were the first words that she had spoken in a long time. After Heero had come back from the bathroom with Aikyou, Kayumi had been unusually quiet. Megumi laughed again.

"I'm not that desperate! Unlike some we know, right Kayumi-san?" Megumi shot back. He comment was close to crossing a line, but very well aimed. Kayumi's smile dropped immediately.

"Well, Aikyou and I truly must be going" Megumi sated before Kayumi could cause anymore damage. She slid open the door and left with Aikyou in tow.

Heero looked around the table to Kayumi who was still looking after Megumi. The room was very quiet, except for Duo occasional belches.

Once Kayumi realized that everyone was looking at her, she brought back her charming smile. She laughed nervously and picked up the nearest sake vial.

"Sake, anyone?" she said.

Relena hurried after Megumi as they walked down the street, away from the teahouse they were just in. Megumi walked very fast, but somehow always managed to bow to everyone she saw. Relena was still having trouble getting her walk down. It was very difficult with all the weight that her kimono ensemble created.

It had been just a few months since Relena had become Megumi's younger sister. She was very surprised the day that Megumi had come to the okiya and spoke with Mother. Relena was counting on her plan, but she didn't expect it to work that fast, and she was disturbed that no one called her Relena anymore; it was Aikyou now. Nevertheless, she was overjoyed at the fact that she was on her way to becoming a true geisha. She was itching to get Kayumi and Kayoko out of the okiya, and eventually return home to her father. Though, a few things did change during the months of Relena's transformation.

After she learned that she was to be taken under Megumi's wing, Mother decided that it was time for Hilde to become an apprentice geisha as well. Instead of having Megumi train her along with Relena, she placed her Kayumi's care, which mortified both Hilde and Relena. Weeks after the ceremony between Megumi and Relena, Hilde and Kayumi preformed the exact same ritual, binding them as sisters. That's when most everything changed for Relena. Hilde confronted her after the ceremony and accused her of only looking out for herself. Hilde angrily said how stupid she was to believe Relena, that she was so timid and was willing to believe anything, and that she would not make that mistake again. Soon, Hilde, now Kazue, showed signs of Kayumi's special "charm". She no longer spoke kindly to Relena, and spent much of her time in Kayumi and Kayoko's room gossiping with Kayoko. Relena could often hear laughing coming from the room, and always felt a pang of guilt and sadness. She had no one but Eriko now, and even that wasn't as nice as her time spent with Hilde had been.

Megumi saw that Relena was distressed, and told her to forget about it. "You can make friends with geisha, but don't expect anything real. Deep down, all we care about is our own survival" she had said. Relena knew that was true, but she didn't want to believe that she would never be friends with Hilde anymore.

"That went rather well, didn't it?" Megumi said as she walked along the street.

"Megumi-san, Kayumi disgraced me! I couldn't bear another story like that!" Relena replied.

"Oh Aikyou, you can only expect that from Kayumi, but that wasn't what I was talking about. Did you see the way that the men looked at you as you walked into the room? Their eyes were hanging all over you!"

"Megumi-san, it was just left over from looking at you! I'm just an apprentice!" Relena exclaimed.

"Apprentice or not, they noticed you. Why do you think I have been wearing such dull kimono? I'm not the one that must impress others."

Relena sighed, but blushed that the thought of men thinking her beautiful.

"No one will ever notice me if Kayumi gets serious about her teasing. What an awful woman! Why must she be that way?" Relena said.

Megumi stopped walking and looked at Relena.

"Aikyou, there are plenty of things that you are very unaware of, things that you will come to learn whether you like it or not." She stopped mid-sentence and glanced around. She proceeded to pull Relena into a small restaurant. Once they were seated inside, Megumi waited for the screen door to close, and then began to speak.

"The life of a geisha is not easy. A geisha almost never gets what she truly wants, and always must depend on others to live. A life such as this can bring on many things that destroy people. Depression, and in most cases, cruel intentions. Kayumi, along with many others, develop these feelings."

"A woman like that cannot feel!" Relena interrupted.

"Yes, she can. Think of how you were when you first came to Gion. You were afraid, angry, and destitute. Soon you learned that they only way of surviving in this world was to use you own cunning. I felt that way, Kayumi felt that way."

Relena sighed, "But surely that can't be the only reason for the way she acts."

"Well, that with constantly being ordered around by such cruel people." Megumi replied, "I'm not condoning her actions, I'm just trying to help you understand why people act certain ways."

"I'm not sure I understand your point Megumi-san." Relena said.

"Oh come now, your not that ignorant! I'm sure you know why Kayoko and Kazue act the way they do."

Relena thought for a while. At first she had no idea why Kayoko was so awful to her, she just assumed that she was just naturally that way. But considering what Megumi just said, perhaps that Kayoko and Kayumi had experienced cruelty beyond compare, hadn't Relena as well? So why wasn't she this way? She knew why Hilde, or rather, Kazue, had made such a drastic turn. It was partly Relena's fault, but she wished that Hilde knew that she couldn't control other people's feelings exactly the way she wanted. If Relena had everything her way, Hilde would be sitting with Megumi and herself. Though, like Megumi said, geisha almost never get what they truly want.

"I suppose that Kayumi influences them." She answered.

"Yes indeed," Megumi replied, "It is just what I said, Kayoko and Kazue have such hatred for the people around them that they don't realize how much of an influence that Kayumi has over them. Of course, Kayumi does what she does to keep herself in the good graces of your Mother. Everything comes down to Mother. Kayumi's plan is simple; Mother has no natural daughter; whoever earns the most money out of you three apprentices, she will most likely adopt. Being adopted will place you on a shelf where no one can touch you. Kayumi wants either Kayoko or Kazue to be adopted, but we must prevent that."

"Megumi-san, you mean for me to be adopted by Mother?" Relena asked, she had a small look of disappointment on her face, Megumi noticed this.

"You are not pleased with this? Aikyou, if you aren't adopted, Kayumi will have no trouble getting you thrown out of the okiya. Why did you become a geisha if not to be sure that you have a home to go to?"

Relena didn't want to answer. She had to admit, her reasons for becoming a geisha were rather selfish.

"Well, to tell the truth, Hilde, Kazue I mean, and I agreed to help each other become geisha so we could run Kayumi and Kayoko out of the okiya."

"That isn't all." Megumi correctly guessed. Relena shook her head.

"No. My plan was once I got rid of Kayumi and Kayoko, I was going to find my way back home. My Father, he sold me to the Itoo okiya after my Mother, my real mother, died and my brother left. I never understood why he did so. It couldn't have been for my best interest; I would never, I-" she was on the verge of tears, and couldn't finish. Megumi shooed away the waiter that just opened the door. The waiter looked awkwardly and Relena and bowed before closing the door.

"Aikyou," Megumi began.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me" Relena sobbed quietly.

"Aikyou," repeated Megumi as she handed her a handkerchief from her obi, "How do you know that your Father is still there? How do you know that he hasn't moved on, like your brother?"

"No! He wouldn't have! There was no reason for him to _sell_ me. My brother, he left to get money for us, but he never returned! Something happened to him. If I go home, I can start all over again. I can live with my Father, I can find my brother. We can be together again, everything will be fine…" she rambled.

"Aikyou, your view of the world is greatly skewed, things don't always work out. All we can do it make the best of what we have. That is what you have to do. Now stop your crying before your makeup comes off." Megumi gently said. Relena pulled a small mirror out of her obi and began to dab away at her face. She did her best to salvage what she could, but the tears that she shed took away much of the intended affect of her makeup.

"I'm sorry Megumi-san, I'll control myself next time" she said.

"Let's hope that there won't be a next time! If you can't control your feelings, then you won't be a very good geisha." Megumi said.

She slid the door open and stepped into her geta. Relena did the same.

"I believe that you have had an eventful night, enough for an apprentice. Go home and rest Aikyou. I'll see you tomorrow." She said. Relena nodded.

Heero stood out on the balcony at the inn Duo, Quatre, and himself were staying at. He was thinking about the events that had passed that night. If things had been up to him, Kayumi and her apprentices wouldn't have even been there. Before they came to the party, there were other geisha present. Duo, before he had gotten drunk, was quite smitten with one of them. During the course of his conversation, the geisha had mentioned Kayumi. She apparently was a good friend of Kayumi, and she thought that Duo would enjoy her company. So Duo insisted that the teahouse make a call to get Kayumi to come to the party. She arrived, and with two apprentices in tow. Duo did like Kayumi, but even more, he was spending most of his time talking to one of the apprentices, Kazue. At first, she was very quiet, for apprentices are supposed to do no more than observe, but Duo soon fixed that.

The mood of the party was very light, though when Megumi arrived, Kayumi became unbearable, according to Heero. She was a devil if he had ever seen one. Megumi's younger sister, Aikyou was cruelly victimized by Kayumi. Heero was aware that Megumi knew that would happen if she ever ran into Kayumi, but Heero still didn't like how geisha treated each other sometimes.

"Heero" said Quatre, who had just come up beside him.

"Where is Duo?" Heero asked. Quatre laughed to himself.

"Oh, out cold in his room. The maids had some trouble getting him to lay down, let alone get him to sleep."

Heero laughed to himself as well.

"Duo is a brilliant man, though alcohol will be his downfall."

Quatre handed Heero a cigar and proceeded to light it for him.

"Is something wrong? After we came back from the teahouse, you became especially quiet." Quatre asked.

Heero almost smiled to himself. There was no escaping Quatre's inquisitive eyes. He seemed to know what people were feeling just by looking at them.

"Oh, I'm just upset with tonight's events. If I knew that Kayumi was going to come, I would never have asked for Megumi. That apprentice, Aikyou, was victimized by Kayumi. I didn't like it."

"I see," Quatre said, "Do you like this apprentice?"

"It isn't that. I was bothered by how Kayumi acted toward her. Even Kayumi's apprentices looked down on her."

"I wouldn't spend too much time dwelling on why geisha do the things they do. I don't know much about them, but I've been told that they act in unfathomable ways."

"The things that she said, just reminded me of something my Father would do when he caught a fish." Heero said. Quatre didn't say anything, but just listened.

"When my Father caught a fish, he would pull it out of the ocean with such vivacity. He would remove the hook without thinking how it hurt the fish, and sit examining it. The fish would toss and turn, trying to get free, but my Father had too tight of a grip. It always upset me seeing the fish tortured so, and watching Kayumi go after that apprentice like that, made me think of this."

Quatre smiled, "So I see you are not as menacing as they say" he said jokingly. Heero only looked at him.

"Don't let others know, I have to keep my image" Heero joked.

Quatre laughed and nodded his head. He turned to look back towards the main room, and then at Heero again.

"I think I will turn in for the night. No doubt tomorrow will be exhausting." He said.

Heero nodded and watched him go. He looked down the cigar in his hand. Why had this event upset him so? Was it his dislike for Kayumi? It wasn't because he felt sympathy for the apprentice, he could care less if he saw her again. Perhaps it was the memory of his Father, and his odd ways.

Whatever was bothering him, he decided to sleep on it. No answers would come to him while he was very tired and a little disoriented from the sake he had drank. So he put out his cigar, and left the balcony for his room.

The next day, Relena was awoken by Auntie, who kept shaking her and calling her name.

"Aikyou," she said, "Aikyou, get up!"

Relena turned onto her back in her futon. She forced her eyes open to see Auntie hovering above her.

"What is it?" she asked.

Auntie shook her again and proceeded to rip her sheets off.

"Megumi-san wants to see you in her apartment immediately. Don't make her wait!" she said.

Relena groaned but got up from her futon. Auntie left the room for a moment and came back with a kimono for Relena to wear. Relena was puzzled by this. Usually today, Sunday, Relena and the other geisha went to the bathhouse, and then to the hairdresser to have their elaborate hair designs re-done. When Auntie brought in the kimono, Relena took that at a sign that she wasn't going to the bathhouse.

"Auntie, aren't we going to the bathhouse? I don't want to stink up Megumi-san's apartment!" she asked.

"Don't be stupid, you won't stink up the place! Besides, there is no time. Megumi-san's maid just came by and said to get there as fast as possible."

"But my hair" Relena started, but was interrupted by Auntie.

"Your hair is fine. Some oil and perfume will fix it up just fine. Now get the kimono on so I can tie the obi," she said, "And then put on your makeup! Megumi-san does not like late apprentices!"

Relena hastily put the kimono robes on and then stood with her arms out to the side so Auntie could tie the obi. Relena wasn't used to having Auntie tying her obi. Usually, Mr. Enosaki, Kayumi's dresser, tied everyone's obi, including Relena's. He always insisted on tying them tight (tighter than normal) and snugly, to obtain the perfect cylindrical figure. Auntie, however, tied the obi somewhat loose, making it feel odd. Relena was still getting down her walk, and a loose obi didn't help. She didn't complain though. She was sure that Megumi would have it tied again once she checked Relena over (like she always did before they went out).

As soon as everything was in place, she began to apply makeup, and was done with that quickly. As soon as she put her brush down, Auntie grabbed her arm and began to pull her down the stairs.

"Auntie, my coin purse, my mirror!" Relena protested.

Auntie sighed and let go of her arm. Relena dashed up the stairs as fast as she could with a kimono on. She scurried back into her room and grabbed all the things she believed she would need. She hurried back down the stairs, only to be grabbed again by Auntie again.

"Come along now!" she said, "Don't stop for anything, go strait to Megumi-san's apartment!" and at that, she pushed Relena out the door.

Relena took a few seconds to re-orient herself and then began to make her way to Megumi's apartment. She walked down the narrow street, and eventually came upon the busy Shijo Avenue. She didn't have any breakfast, and her stomach was growling for food. She passed many people vending different foods, but she couldn't stop, for some reason, Megumi wanted her presence immediately, and that meant that no matter how hungry she was, she had to get to Megumi's apartment.

She turned off of Shijo Avenue and down another street that eventually led to Megumi's apartment.

On the outside, the apartment didn't look very impressive, a makeup and accessories shop was below it, and the only evidence that someone lived above was a door on the very left side of the shop. Relena walked up to the door and knocked. A few moments later Megumi's maid Tomomi came down and opened the door. She smiled once she saw Relena's face.

"Oh! Aikyou-san, what a pleasure to see you!" she said, "Please come in. Megumi-san is waiting for you upstairs"

Relena bowed and entered the house. She followed Tomomi up the staircase and removed her shoes before entering the room. Megumi's apartment was large compared to most. She had three rooms, one for guest reception, one for herself, and one for her two maids, Tomomi and Michiko.

When she walked into the main room, Megumi was coming out of her sleeping quarters, fully dressed. She looked beautiful in her light green kimono with small cranes flying up and down the entire length. She smiled when she saw Relena, and Relena bowed.

"I came as fast as I could Megumi-san, what is so important?" Relena asked.

"I need you to change into a different kimono" she said as she looked Relena up and down, "This one will not do at all! Tomomi, please go fetch the brown and silver kimono please, the one with the sparrow pattern."

"Yes ma'am." Replied Tomomi and she went off into another room.

"Megumi-san, what is wrong with the kimono that I have on now?"

"Its fine Aikyou, though I don't think that it will attract the attention of my danna, Lord Treize Kushrenada." Megumi said, "He prefers kimono of a more subtle variety."

Relena nearly choked at the name. Mother mentioned this man frequently, and always spoke very well of him. People on the streets knew who he was too. Treize Kushrenada was a very wealthy foreigner who had come to Japan a few years ago. He developed such good friendships and such a reputation, that he was welcome in most teahouses around the country. Though, Gion was his favorite place. Relena knew he was very important, but she never knew that he was Megumi's danna.

"Lord Kushrenada is your danna?" she asked, astonished.

"Yes, he is," Megumi said, "That certainly explains the lavish surroundings doesn't it?"

Relena nodded, but couldn't find anything to say. She was suddenly overcome with such a fear, she felt it would consume her. She was fine being around men such as Heero Yuy, but entertaining someone such as Lord Kushrenada! She didn't know what to think.

Megumi led her into a room where Tomomi was holding out a kimono for Relena to put on. Both Megumi and Tomomi moved around Relena fixing the kimono this way and that, until all the robes were tied together. Now all that was left was the obi. Of course, Megumi or Tomomi could have tied it, but it would be much like Auntie's tie, very loose and uncomfortable. So they waited to Megumi's dresser to arrive. By the look on Megumi's face, he seemed to be late.

"Where is Marquise-san?" she asked.

"I don't know ma'am," Tomomi answered, "I sent him out to get those new fragrances that you wanted. Perhaps he has had some trouble getting them."

"He knows how I detest tardiness!" Megumi fumed.

"I'll go see if he is coming" Tomomi said.

As soon as she began to exit, the door below could be heard opening. The sound of two people hurrying up the staircase reached their ears.

"That must be him" Megumi said underneath her breath. She left the room along with Tomomi, leaving Relena there alone.

She could hear Megumi talking to this Marquise man and an unfamiliar voice, which must have been Michiko. Megumi sounded very rushed, and had a little sound of annoyance in her voice when she told Marquise that Relena was waiting for her obi to be tied. Michiko came into the room carrying two box lunches, though they had the crest of a very fine restaurant printed on them. Megumi had ordered very expensive food for her danna. Michiko set the boxes down and left the room, also in a hurried state. Then Marquise entered the room.

He was tall and had long silver hair, with a grey handkerchief on his head. Relena's mouth almost dropped open. It was the man that she and Hilde had run into months ago! She knew she wasn't mistaken. He was wearing the same thing as when she saw him that day, he had the same striking ice blue eyes, and he looked so familiar. Again, Relena felt as if she knew this man. He smiled at her in such a way, like he was looking upon his own child, realizing how proud he was of her. She was overtaken with the strongest feeling of nostalgia, a need to be home.

"Well, where is the obi?" he asked.

Relena couldn't answer, she was dumbstruck. The obi was right behind her, but that wasn't the point. Once he opened his mouth and spoke, she knew who he was. She has become very nervous. She brought up a hand to her chest to stabilize her breathing, though it did no good. She was near to hyperventilating.

"Ah, there it is" he said, spotting it on the floor behind her. He began to move towards it, but Relena began to speak.

"Milliardo" she said.

Marquise stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to her, the smile gone.

"What did you say?" he asked slowly. Relena turned to him as well. She was trying to control herself, but if he smiled at her again, she didn't think she could.

"Milliardo, you're Milliardo!" she said. He looked her dead in the eye, he suddenly became very cold.

"No, you are mistaken. My name is Zechs Marquise. I'm Megumi-san's dresser. You're thinking of another." He said and bent down to get the obi.

"No!" Relena said and grabbed his shirtsleeve, "You are Milliardo, my brother!"

Zechs reached for the obi and picked it up.

"I don't have any idea what you are talking about. Now, if you would please raise your arms."

"Why? That's all I want to know, why did you leave us?" Relena asked.

"Please Aikyou-san" he said, but Relena wouldn't be quieted.

"You know my name is Relena. Just answer me, and you don't have to see me ever again! I just want to know why you left, why didn't you come back?"

"I need to tie your obi"

"Father was so depressed! After mother's death, you left to get money, but you didn't come back! Father lost all control he had! You were what held our fragile family together, and you left!"

"Stop confusing me with someone else" he said quietly, though Relena continued.

"He sold me. He sold me to a geisha okiya! You were his son, but he looked up to you, he held pride and joy in you! How could you let him sell me like cattle?" she asked, now getting angry.

"Stop this!" he said, also getting angry, "Though your past may have been trying, I have no interest in it. Now please let me do my job."

Relena began to say another thing, but Tomomi entered the room and slid the door shut behind her. She looked very irritated.

"What are you two doing in here?" she asked angrily, "Please tie Aikyou-san's obi Marquise-san. Megumi will call for her soon, Lord Kushrenada has arrived!"

Relena shut her mouth, disappointed and torn. She held her arms up so Zechs could tie the obi. She couldn't believe that the man standing next to her was actually her brother, Milliardo, and he was denying every bit of it. She did all she could to keep herself from crying. Zechs was done tying the obi. He moved to the beck of the room and sat down on the tatami mats. Relena fought the urge to look back at him and sat down as well.

They sat there for a couple of hours, listening to Megumi and Lord Kushrenada talk about little things. Things like Lord Kushrenada's day, his travels, and ideas that he had. He spent a long time talking about his fellow German people, and how interested they were in Japan's friendship. Relena noticed how well Megumi was carrying the conversation. She kept up in everything that Lord Kushrenada said, and knew what he was talking about, or so it seemed. Relena was very nervous to meet him, but it did not take away her helpless feelings about Zechs, or rather, Milliardo.

Michiko entered the room and began to take the food out the lunch boxes. Tomomi helped her bring it out to Megumi and Lord Kushrenada. They spent another hour eating, with Tomomi and Michiko going in and out of the room. It was when Michiko had brought in the last plate, Tomomi summoned Relena into the room. Relena stood up and followed Tomomi.

Tomomi motioned for her to sit on one side of the table to form a triangle between Lord Kushrenada and Megumi. Before she sat down, she bowed in front of Lord Kushrenada.

"Danna-sama, let me introduce to you my new younger sister, Aikyou." Megumi said. Relena kept in her position and said the usual thing.

"Please let me indulge you with my presence, sir" she said and came up from the bow. She then moved to her directed spot.

Unlike Heero Yuy, Lord Kushrenada took a great interest in her right away. He smiled charmingly at her, and she found herself liking it.

"You do have a beautiful kimono on Aikyou, it certainly matches your beautiful face" he said.

Relena let a small smile through and bowed to thank him.

"You flatter her so, she will begin to think well of herself!" Megumi said jokingly.

"Well, shouldn't she? In my country, it is considered well mannered to dote on a beautiful woman as much a possible. And I am not mistaken, she is very beautiful. Come Aikyou my dear, let me have a good look at your face." He said.

Relena held her head up to Lord Kushrenada's. She couldn't very well look him strait in the eye, that would be too rude. So she looked at his mouth, which was perfect. Her gaze shifted to his perfect nose, perfect hair, perfect everything. He reached out and touched her face with one of his white gloved hands and moved her head side to side. After a few moments, he let go of her face.

"I see a bright future for your younger sister Megumi" he said smiling. Megumi also smiled.

"I'm glad that you say so," she said, "A compliment from a man such as Lord Kushrenada is a very good thing Aikyou!"

Relena smiled and bowed again.

"Please don't flatter me so!' Relena said in reply. Lord Kushrenada chuckled to himself.

"Megumi, please fetch that parcel that I brought." He said.

Megumi nodded to Tomomi who was sitting behind her. Tomomi went into a side room and came back out with a large box. Megumi gave Relena a look as if to say she wanted her to take it from Tomomi. Relena stood up and did just that. She brought it to the table and set it in front of her.

"Please open it Megumi" he said.

Megumi took the box and slid it in front of her. She opened it and looked towards Lord Kushrenada with a large smile.

"Danna-sama is too kind" she said.

"Like I said, I enjoy seeing pleasure on the faces of beautiful women" he said.

Relena craned her neck to look in the box. She nearly gasped. It was a beautiful silk western style dress. It was a dark mossy green color, with draped all over it. Relena never knew that there were such things in the world. She thought that the only thing women wore were kimono. She had heard about western women, but she had always imagined them in kimono with their hair fashioned in a Japanese style. Lord Kushrenada looked at her and smiled, but he didn't say anything.

Relena was asked to take the dress out of the box and hold it up for Lord Kushrenada and Megumi to see. She stood up again and removed the dress. It was a short dress, but the bottom section was very wide when pulled out. The neckline at the bust was very low, and the sleeves were short with lace dangling from them.

"Of course you don't have to wear it, Megumi. But it is a nice thing to have, isn't it? A replica of the 19th century, an antique of the western world" Lord Kushrenada stated.

"Thank you Danna-sama, it is a beautiful gift." Megumi said. She called for Tomomi to place the dress back in the box and to store it along with the other kimono. After Tomomi did so Lord Kushrenada smiled and began to speak.

"Well Megumi, shall we go?" he asked.

"Yes Danna-sama, let me fix myself up and I will be right with you" she said.

She stood from the table and motioned for Relena to follow her. Once they were in Megumi's sleeping quarters again, she turned to Relena and began to quietly speak.

"That went very well! I can tell he enjoyed your presence!" she said.

"I'm glad you think so Megumi-san" Relena replied. She quickly looked over her shoulder to see if Zechs was still in the room, and he was.

She had almost forgotten about how sad she was before, but now the feelings came rushing back. She desperately wanted to say something to him, anything to make him confess his actions, but doing such a thing in front of Megumi would be very disrespectful. Once he saw them enter the room, he got up and moved to where Megumi was standing. She lifted up her arms as stood there as Zechs began to untie her obi.

"Lord Kushrenada and I are going to see a kabuki play Aikyou." She said. Relena nodded and began to thank Megumi for giving her the chance to meet Lord Kushrenada, but Megumi had more to say.

"You are coming with us too. Though, you will have to go in a separate rickshaw with Marquise-san, since I will be in a rickshaw with Lord Kushrenada."

"Oh," Relena began, "Marquise-san is coming too?"

"He is only going to escort you there. That's what he does. His main job title is a kimono dresser, but he also escorts me to and from big events when I need him to. You do a very well job Marquise-san."

Zechs bowed in response after he finished tying Megumi's obi. Relena looked to him, hoping that they would lock eyes, but he avoided her gaze. Tomomi handed Megumi her coin purse and then Relena and Zechs followed her out of the room, down the stairs, and out onto the streets.

Lord Kushrenada helped Megumi into one of the rickshaws that were waiting for them, which Relena found odd. Usually men paid no attention to the women at their side. Zechs didn't do the same, as Relena had to help herself into the next rickshaw. Lord Kushrenada gave the word, and they were off.

For a few minutes, Relena felt very awkward sitting next to Zechs, but eventually, she built up enough courage to confront him again.

"It's no use denying who you are. I only want answers." She said.

Zechs stared ahead, ignoring her. Relena continued.

"Please don't insult me any longer. You shame our family!"

"I shame the family?" he burst out, then got quiet again, "Stop this madness! Whatever happened before your life here in Gion, you must forget about it. Bitter people live bitter lives, and you won't make many friends pestering strangers about unknown things."

"You just admit it!" Relena said, "You just denied shaming the family!"

"I said nothing of the sort" Zechs stated, then was quiet again.

Relena began to say another thing, but then stopped herself. She was getting no where bantering him like this. She needed to think of another strategy, but all she wanted to do was to ask him questions. She watched as they passes a stream on their way to the kabuki theatre, lost in her thoughts of tactics. How was she going to get him to confess.

"Was it a woman?" she asked quietly.

He didn't reply, but she could tell that her question bothered him. He sighed and turned to her. Behind him, she could see the entrance to the kabuki theatre, they had arrived.

"People do things for certain reasons that you can't control," he said, "You can spend an eternity pondering these things, and you would never get an answer. Its best not to think about it."

He jumped out of the rickshaw and turned back to her. Ahead of them, Megumi and Lord Kushrenada were waiting for her. Zechs extended his hand to her. He wanted to help her out of the rickshaw.

"Please," he began, but she proceeded to help herself, "Please, Aikyou."

She stopped when he said that name, she hated that name. It was like putting salt on an open wound when he said it. She grabbed onto his hand and let him assist her. Once her feet were flat on the ground, she turned and looked him in the eye.

"Don't call me that, Milliardo" she said, and followed Lord Kushrenada and Megumi into the theatre.


	4. chapter 4

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 4

AN: I'm sorry, **but I can't have Sylvia Noventa as Megumi's maid**. I have a much more important use for her. So Tomomi is now an apprentice geisha! I'll place another OC in her place as Megumi's maid, Reiko. Sorry for the confusion.

**Tomomi: Sylvia Noventa**

Today was the last day of May, soon to be June. Relena had spent most of the month traveling to different events with Megumi and Lord Kushreanada. Most of the time she was very tired, not getting more than one or two hours of sleep each night. Although she always felt like nodding off in the middle of a conversation, she couldn't do something like that, Megumi would become angry with her. Nevertheless, she enjoyed the outings on which she tagged along with Megumi. Not only did it keep Kayumi away from her, it also gave her a chance to expose herself outside of Gion. She was meeting important military and political men; and thanks to Lord Kushrenada's praise and Megumi's words, they were noticing her.

In a few weeks, she had seen two kabuki plays, gone to countless parties, and even chatted with many men in high places. Relena found that she liked Lord Kushrenada very much. He was very charming, and always said the right things in conversations. He flattered her like no one had before. The job of an apprentice is to do no more that follow her older sister around and observe. But when Relena was with Lord Kushrenada, he always brought her into his conversations, and although she was very naive to what he and others were talking about, he never made her feel inferior. Relena found herself blushing every time he talked to her, and whenever she left his presence, she only wanted to be back at his side. She felt she could trust him, and wanted to know so much more about him. Life around Lord Kushrenada was enchanting to her.

Though the world inside the Itoo okiya was still the same as ever. Even though Relena managed to stay out of Kayumi's way, inside the okiya there was no escape. Life was same as it had been just a few weeks ago. Kayoko was same as ever, and Kazue still wouldn't speak to her despite her many glares in Relena's direction. Relena made the mistake several times of calling her Hilde. She was promptly snapped at her and told to say Kazue. Relena made a point of that, and she was now reluctant to speak to Kazue again.

Mother, however, was taking a great notice of Relena's rising stardom. Mother usually had a lunch with mistresses of other okiya most days. The mistresses must have commented to Mother about Relena. Probably the geisha that lived in their okiya had seen Relena at certain parties and with Megumi and Lord Kushrenada often. Even though Kayumi and Kayoko chose their kimono first, Mother spoke to Auntie one day, and told her to help Relena choose an especially beautiful kimono. Mother spent a lot of her time in her room writing things in books and calculating numbers on her abacus. According to Megumi, they were stirring up Mother's interest in Relena.

Now, she was in a rickshaw with Megumi on the way to the train station. They were going to Lord Kushrenada's estate in Hakone to attend his cherry blossom viewing party. Of course they weren't going to just sit around and watch the blossoms fall from the trees, that would be far too boring. Why, everyone would fall asleep right away! Lord Kushrenada had certain events planned for the day, and events that would go well on into the night. In the afternoon, when they would arrive, the guests were scheduled to just meander around the estate, viewing the blossoms and socializing. It was specifically the attending geisha's job to entertain these guests, and show them around the estate. In the evening, the remaining guests were to dine outside in a special pavilion made just for that purpose. There was to be entertainment provided by geisha, of course. Megumi and Relena were to spend the night at the estate, and then travel back to Kyoto in the morning.

Megumi sat next to Relena, while Megumi's dresser, Zechs, Sat opposite of them.

Since her confrontation with Zechs, Relena had become cold to him, as he was to her. She still hadn't gotten any answers out of him, and she decided that he probably wasn't ever. She would have to ask around, certainly there was someone I in Gion who knew about her brother. She considered of asking Megumi, but she didn't think that Megumi was the type of person to gossip. Asking anyone in her okiya was out of the question. Mother would never tell her anything, Kayumi would use such information against her for certain. Auntie, well she hadn't thought of Auntie. Perhaps that was it; Auntie was always kind to her, perhaps Auntie would give her what she wanted. Now, even though she was going up in the world, she still couldn't shake what he had said to her. She was still a child of sorts, and she was determined to make him feel the way she did, vulnerable, betrayed, and hurt.

They reached the train station with no problems. Zechs helped both women out of the rickshaw as he looked around to the people surrounding them. He was giving everyone looks as if to ward of bothersome bystanders. Megumi laughed when she saw his face, and told him he would have an exceptionally hard time in discouraging people. Megumi was wearing a light blue and grey kimono with images of sea swells on it. Relena was wearing a stark white kimono with cherry blossoms embroidered on it with white thread. The dangling obi was white as well, with a pink embroidered ribbon in the middle. A dark brown cord held the obi together. When Relena asked why she wore a white kimono, Megumi said that she would stand out the most in it, and she did. Megumi removed their tickets from her obi and handed them to Zechs.

"We are to board the nine o' clock train," he said while looking at the tickets, "That should be right down here on the left."

He began to gently push Megumi and Relena along and onto the train. Relena's breath caught at his touch. She didn't want any contact with him. Of course, that wasn't completely possible, so she wanted the least amount of physical contact. Zechs looked towards her and urged her forward again.

She followed Megumi down the platform. As they passed, people looked at them in awe. They were outside of Gion now, and to most people, an apprentice geisha from Gion in full attire was a rare sighting. There were businessmen, families, and other various types of people moving about the platform. There were even a couple of foreign looking people there too. They were the ones that stared the most. The appearance of geisha was especially strange to them.

They reached the train, and were escorted on by a station attendant. The attendant walked in front of Megumi and Relena, and Zechs brought up the rear. They were shown their seats and they sat down, Relena next to Megumi, and Zechs across from them.

"We should be in Hakone in a few hours" Megumi said.

"Has Megumi-san been to Lord Kushrenada's estate before?" Relena asked.

"Oh yes, many times," Megumi said, "His estate in Hakone is very large, and very beautiful. It's especially beautiful in the spring, like it is now. Every year Lord Kushrenada holds a cherry blossom viewing party. It is a great honor to be invited to this event"

Relena's excitement grew at the prospect of seeing Lord Kushrenada's estate, and meeting all the important people.

"I'm very excited Megumi-san!" she said. Megumi laughed.

"I expected you would. When I spoke to Mother about it, she said yes as soon as I mentioned Lord Kushrenada's name. She was exceptionally happy when I told her Marquise-san would be escorting us."

Relena perked up at the mention of Mother. She knew that Mother thought well of Lord Kushrenada, but Relena didn't think that she knew anything about Zechs. Did Mother consort with him? Relena risked a glance towards Zechs, only to see that he was looking straight into her eyes. Once she turned to him though, his gaze immediately changed to look in Megumi's direction. Relena however, decided to make him uncomfortable.

"Do you know Mother Marquise-san?" she asked him. He nodded, but he didn't look at her though.

"Yes, I do. She gave me a job when I fist came to Gion. I was dresser for Kayumi, but I found that the Itoo okiya wasn't the best place for me." He answered.

Megumi looked slightly shocked at Zechs's comment. You see, it was very rude of him to speak that way about the Itoo okiya. It would have been better for him to say that Mother gave him a job, and leave it at that. Though to go on and imply that he didn't like it there, was very impolite. Megumi didn't say anything to reprimand him, but she did give him a bad look.

"Oh," Relena muttered, "I didn't know. And, where did you work before you came to Gion?" she boldly asked.

"Aikyou, that is enough," Megumi said, "We don't need to beat answers out of Marquise-san!" she was beginning to turn on her geisha charm, so as not to seem too rude. It worked though, Relena didn't press on the matter anymore.

She was still shocked that Zechs had some connection to the Itoo okiya, and Mother. He was Kayumi's dresser! That shocked her the most. Of course he left then, Relena couldn't think of anyone that could stand Kayumi that long. She was barely surviving herself. What Zechs found in Gion, is that what kept him from coming home? Relena was very young when her mother died and her brother left, only two years old in fact. He was very young as well. She wondered what he found in Gion that captured his passion so.

。。。。

"Where are we going again?" asked Duo Maxwell of Heero Yuy. Heero rolled his eyes, he couldn't remember how many times he told Duo what event they were attending.

"Kushrenada's cherry blossom viewing party," Heero replied, "He holds one every year."

"Wow, and we got invited?"

"We're rich businessmen, Kushrenada may never know when he needs our service." Heero said sarcastically.

"It should be fine I think," said Quatre, "Whatever his reasons, I'm glad that we were invited. I've never seen such an event, and I'm sure that I'll enjoy it."

"Amen to that," Duo stated, "Umm, will there be geisha at this party?"

Heero sighed in annoyance. Of course Duo had his mind on geisha, that's most all he thought about when he was in Japan.

"Yes, there will be geisha," Heero replied, "So you can get as drunk as you want and you'll still have someone to take care of you."

Duo frowned at him.

"You always have to be so hostile! No wonder most geisha don't like you" he shot back.

Heero leaned back in his train seat and began to ignore Duo. Quatre look between the two men and shook his head.

"You should both think about getting married, especially you Duo," he said.

"Me? Married? You must be joking. If I got married, then I couldn't play around with all the women of the world!"

"No," interjected Heero, "If you lived like the Japanese, you could have a wife and a mistress on the side."

"Really! Just think about that…" Duo said, "Well, maybe I should be living a more Japanese life!"

"Yes, perhaps" Heero mumbled while shaking his head. Quatre laughed.

"It is similar in the Middle East," He began, "Except that most men of wealth display their fortune with the amount of wives and children he has."

"No kidding? Western civilization is far behind the times"

Quatre laughed again and then asked Heero a question.

"Do you know the itinerary?"

"I'm not sure on the details, but we should get there towards the afternoon. That is when the guests are escorted around the estate by geisha," He looked towards Duo, "Then, if we want to stay the night, we get rooms and then have dinner outside on the terrace with Kushrenada."

Duo leaned back in his seat like Heero. With his mouth open in awe, he flipped his raggedy bangs back with his hand.

"We get all that, just for being guests?" he asked, Heero and Quatre nodded, "Jeez louise, I think I like this Kushrenada guy."

"He's a business man, he wants you to like him." Heero mumbled, though Duo didn't hear him. Quatre did though, but opted to grin instead of saying anything.

。。。。

Hours later, Megumi, Relena, and Zechs arrived in Hakone. The train pulled up to a very small but ornate station. Two tracks ran through the town, each going in opposite directions. People were slowly trickling in and out of the station, most seemed to be people of great importance, they looked very rich. Many of them had servants running around with their luggage. There were also geisha at the station, greeting one another, greeting other people. The excitement in Relena's abdomen began to rise to her chest.

"How far to Lord Kushrenada's estate?" she asked.

"Lord Kushrenada has sent an automobile to carry us there," Megumi said, "This is standard procedure for all his guests"

Relena gasped in delight.

"We're going to ride in an automobile?" she exclaimed, "How exciting!" She couldn't help but laughing, Zechs smiled with her.

"Isn't it?" Megumi said, "Oh, there it is" and she pointed down the road to a black state of the art 'car'.

Relena almost squealed in excitement and the black car rolled to a stop in front of them. Zechs began to load their luggage in the back of the car while the driver got out and opened the door for the waiting Megumi. Relena followed her in to the vehicle and settled into the soft smooth leather seats. She bounced up and down a couple of times to test things out a bit. Zechs climbed in after her and shut the door behind him.

"This is amazing!" Relena stated.

"I'm glad you like it" Megumi said.

"Oh yes, very much so. I've never seen anything like this before."

Megumi smiled at her as the car began to move forward. They were taken down a dirt road with beautiful scenery. Relena rolled the window down to stick her face out. They were moving unbelievably fast, and the wind was whipping around her face.

As they came around a turn, the Kushrenada estate came into view. The grounds alone were huge, the house was the biggest house she had ever seen. Beautiful gardens graced most parts of the lawns, and although they couldn't see it, there was a sizable lake around the back of the house. This is where the evening dinner would be talking place.

"Oh my!" Relena said breathlessly as the car came to a stop in the horseshoe driveway.

Zechs got out and immediately went to the back of the car to get the luggage. Megumi and Relena followed him, though began to make their way to the main house doors, where many people were flowing to.

Lord Kushrenada was positioned just outside the entrance, greeting people. Once he saw Megumi and Relena, his smile widened instantly.

"The women I have been waiting for!" he proclaimed loudly.

"Women? I hope _danna_-sama isn't suggesting that he has been seeing two other women that are not me!" Megumi said. Lord Kushrenada laughed at her joke.

"Of course not Megumi! I was speaking of you and Aikyou! Who else here could I possibly be referring to?" he said and slipped his hand into Megumi's and kissed it. Many people around began to whisper, but Relena found it very romantic.

"Now, Megumi, I would like you to stay here with me and help me greet guests. Aikyou, your job is to roam the estate and look pretty! I daresay you won't have any trouble with that!"

"Are you sure that I shouldn't stay by Megumi's side sir?" Relena asked. She didn't want to walk around the estate with strangers, she wanted to stay with Lord Kushrenada.

"Don't be frightened of the estate's size, there are plenty of people who would very much appreciate the sight of an apprentice geisha!"

Relena smiled, but didn't mean any of it. She inquired about her luggage, but was just shooed away again by Lord Kushrenada. She desperately wanted to stay and greet guests, but she was in no position to disagree with Lord Kushrenada. A servant that was standing nearby offered to show Relena to the cherry blossom grounds. Relena followed the servant through a maze of rooms and corridors in the house. If she was a normal guest, she would have been shown around the side of the house, but she was an entertainer, and moved around under different circumstances. Though instead of being shown to the grounds, Relena was brought to a series of small tatami rooms in a small corridor. She assumed that she was in the servants' quarters, though she had no idea why.

A door to her right opened and a young apprentice geisha burst out and ran down the hallway, out of sight. Inside the room, there were more apprentice geisha, socializing, dressing in kimono, and applying makeup.

"You will freshen up in here before you go out" said the servant and left.

Relena uneasily looked around. She was sure that the other rooms were full of geisha getting ready for the party. She wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. Should she go out onto the grounds as she is, or should she do as the other geisha were doing. She didn't know of the etiquette of these kinds of parties. As she began to walk down the hallway, an apprentice noticed her and called to her.

"Apprentice, come in here with us" she said. Relena did so, not wanting to seem out of place.

"Are you lost?" asked the apprentice.

"I'm afraid so," Relena confessed, "I just arrived. I was told by Lord Kushrenada to wander the estate, but I don't know where to go!"

"Come in here then, we'll help you" she said.

The girls in the room were sitting around a table eating various foods that had Relena's mouth watering. The girls all had just their under robes on, and not any makeup on. If they ate, it would all come off. Relena kneeled next to the girl that brought her in.

"My name is Tomomi," said the girl, "Would you like to eat with us? It's best to do so, because we won't be eating until late tonight."

"I'm Aikyou, and thank you. Have you been to a party like this before?" Relena asked taking a pair of chopsticks. Tomomi nodded.

"Yes once before. My older sister took me to a party honoring the Prime Minister of Japan. The geisha that attended the party had the same job as we do now" She dipped her chopsticks into a nearby bowl and pulled out a pot sticker.

"How long have you been an apprentice geisha?" Relena asked.

"For about a year now," Tomomi responded, she leaned in, "The bidding for my _mizuage_ just began a week ago. My older sister made sure I was invited to this party."

"_Mizuage_?" Relena questioned.

"Yes," replied Tomomi, "She told me that one of the bidders will be at this party."

"Bidder? What are they bidding for?"

"My _mizuage_ of course! It goes to the highest bidder."

"Oh" Relena said. She had no idea what a _mizuage _was, or why people bid for it. She decided to act as though she knew all about it, and ask Megumi about it later.

"Who is the bidder that you hope to see?" she asked.

Tomomi shook her head as she ate another pot sticker.

"I really shouldn't," she said, "I don't want to ruin my chances at a good _mizuage_ price."

Relena was slightly offended by her comment, though it wasn't uncalled for. Neither of them knew each other very well, and Tomomi should be wary of who she speaks freely with.

"If you think that I will tell others of your plans, you are very mistaken. What need do I have to harm others?" Relena said. Tomomi nodded.

"I understand you might be upset. Though competition is competition!" Tomomi began.

"I won't press you to answer, though I want you to know that I would never do such a thing. I know that many geisha are deceitful and evil in their ways, but I am not." Relena replied. She looked Tomomi in the eye and made sure that there were no lies in her stare. Tomomi looked back, and then nodded.

"I believe you," she said, "It is good to know that there are still kind people in the world."

Relena chose not to respond. She instead reached her own chopsticks into the bowl and ate a pot sticker.

"What was I saying?" Tomomi said, "Oh yes, the current highest bidder for my _mizuage_!"

She made a motion as if to have Relena lean into her. Relena did so.

"Is there a geisha that you don't want to know?" she asked.

"Yes, the geisha Kayumi and her apprentice Kayoko seem to have some connection with this man, and well, my older sister told me that those two are difficult." Tomomi said candidly.

Relena began to laugh to herself. It seems that she wasn't the only apprentice that Kayumi was bent upon destroying. Though it wasn't funny, she couldn't help but laugh.

"What is so funny?" Tomomi asked.

"Well, I live in the same okiya as Kayumi. I don't know why, but I just thought it amusing." Relena said. Tomomi looked at her strangely.

"Anyway, the highest bidder has turned out to be Lord Kushrenada himself!" Tomomi said.

Relena was struck. Lord Kushrenada had dealings with other women, Kayumi and Kayoko! She wondered how he knew them. Kayumi must have entertained him at some party, and now she was hoping that he would become Kayoko's _mizuage_ patron. Did she want him to become Kayoko's _danna_? That was impossible though, because he was already Megumi's _danna_. Relena wondered if Megumi knew about this. Would Megumi be upset, she seemed very fond of Lord Kushrenada. Relena herself was very fond of Lord Kushrenada, and knowing that he consorted with other women, romantically it sounded, made her feel uneasy.

"How interesting, Lord Kushrenada is my older sister's _danna_." Relena said. Tomomi gasped at what she said.

"Really? Then your older sister must be Megumi-san! Oh Aikyou-san, however did you manage to catch her attention?"

Before Relena could answer, a servant ran into their room and began yelling at them. Other servants did the same in other rooms.

"Why are you all lounging about! Hurry, get up! All the guests have arrived!" screamed the servant.

All of the geisha bolted up and began to scurry around the rooms. Relena, who had all her make-up on and her kimono together, sat watching the chaos unfold. Tomomi was in the corner digging around in a bamboo case, pulling out a kimono. She smiled at Relena as she ran out of the room. Relena could hear her yelling down the hallway for the assistance of a kimono dresser.

Relena left the room and looked up and down the hallway. Tomomi was no where to be found, though many other geisha were running about. Relena was glad that Megumi had her prepare before they left Gion. She saw that some girls were running in a certain direction, so she figured that that was the way to the grounds. Relena went along with everyone else as they weaved around the servants' quarters. Soon enough, she found her self outside, and in view of all the guests.

The grounds were beautiful. At least a hundred cherry blossom trees graced the lawn, each flower in full bloom. Relena almost gasped at the beauty of it all. People were ambling around, talking, and occasionally and pointing to the cherry blossom trees. Relena's stomach fluttered as she prepared to start making rounds. She stepped out onto the gravel path and began to walk towards the first group of people that she saw. Megumi wasn't here to instruct her, so she would have to use her own clever mind to make decisions. Though, Megumi did tell her to be a 'social butterfly' as she put it. "You can be a social butterfly and say clever things in a conversation. Just don't be disrespectful; and for heavens sake, don't make yourself look bad!" she had said. So Relena mad her way down the walkway, nodding to people as she passed them.

About thirty minutes into her stroll, she had talked to three different groups of people, and taken pictures with many others. She supposed that they were just excited to see an apprentice geisha from Gion in full regalia. So she obliged and stood in for their pictures. That was the extent of her 'social butterfly' self. She was quite bored over the next few hours. She did nothing more that pose for pictures. She couldn't find Megumi, she figured she was with Lord Kushrenada someplace, and Tomomi was nowhere to be found. She desperately wanted to rest her feet, but Megumi had told her never to appear tired or bored, so she continued to walk, though she felt like collapsing.

When she rounded a corner, she saw three very familiar men talking to a general in the Japanese army, and another man that looked Chinese, who also seemed to be with a military establishment. It was Heero Yuy and his friends. None of them noticed her standing there, they looked to caught up in a conversation to notice her. They weren't going to come over to her, so she went over to them. She wasn't going to cut into their conversation, that would be far too rude. So she opted to use a trick that Megumi taught her. She walked ever so slightly towards them, though still keeping her course. It was Quatre who spotted her first. She lifted up her eyes to meet his, but immediately look away when she met his gaze. This prompted Quatre to call out to her, he must have though that she didn't recognize him, which is what she wanted him to think.

"Aikyou!" he called.

Everyone who he was speaking with turned to see who Quatre was hollering out to. Duo face lit up as soon as he saw her.

"It is Aikyou!" he said and pushed his way through the circle to meet her. Relena slightly laughed.

"How have you been?" Quatre asked, "It has been about a month since we last saw you at that party."

"Thank you for remembering Winner-san! I've been quite fine, Megumi-san has been keeping me very busy!" she replied.

"Aw, is she that mean?" Duo asked.

"Oh no! That's not what I meant at all Maxwell-san. Why, if I didn't keep busy, I would have nothing to do! I appreciate Megumi-san taking her time to train me."

"Well, you and Megumi should visit us again at another party. When we're all back in Gion of course" Quatre said.

"I will mention your invitation to Megumi-san" Relena said and bowed. She turned to Heero and bowed.

"It is very good to see you as well Yuy-san," she said, "I trust you are well?"

Heero nodded, but didn't say anything. He turned to the two men that were with them and began to introduce them.

"This is Trowa Barton, General of Japan's Imperial army, and this is Wu Fei Chang, Admiral of China's Marines." Heero said. Both men nodded toward Relena.

"So you are Aikyou" said Trowa, "I've heard some things about you from these three."

"Good things I hope!" Relena said.

"What would you consider as good?"

Relena didn't know quite how to interpret his comment, though she smiled and though of some reply.

"Well, I hope you three haven't been saying bad things about me!" she said towards Duo, Quatre, and Heero.

"No, what things bad would we have to say about you?" Duo asked.

"Maxwell-san, don't lie! You've been talking about me behind my back! How cruel!" Relena said.

"You're such a tease…" Duo mumbled. Relena laughed and turned to Trowa and Wu Fei.

"I hope you both are enjoying yourselves. Is this your first time to Lord Kushrenada's estate?"

Trowa shook his head, but Wu Fei nodded.

"I was invited only because I'm here on a good-will visit from China. I've never seen anything as indulgent as this, its ridiculous" Wu Fei said.

"Oh Chang-san, you don't mean it! You surely can't say that the cherry blossoms aren't a beautiful sight." Said Relena.

"Yes, beautiful, but hardly a reason for such a party."

"Then you don't know the Japanese very well," Trowa said, "We like to celebrate life's natural charm."

"Then I know all I want to. It isn't enough that this party must exist, all these self-indulgent geisha attack at every turn."

"There is one standing right next to you Chang-san, think of how you are embarrassing her."

Wu Fei only grunted. He didn't seem to care wither he was embarrassing Relena or not. Saying he wasn't enjoying himself was an understatement. Wu Fei probably wanted to get out of the country as soon as possible. Relena didn't let him bother her though. She was determined to make the best of this party.

"What have you seen today?" she asked them.

"Well, no much, just more of the same" Duo said.

"You mean the cherry blossoms?" Relena asked.

"I mean a bunch of old fogies with beautiful women. But here you are, beautiful and alone!"

Relena gasped at his comment.

"Maxwell-san, don't flatter me so!" she said innocently. Duo laughed at this. He seemed to think his little comment clever, though according to Megumi, it was very un-original. She told Relena that she would hear it plenty of times in her career.

Heero sighed and began to walk away. The rest of the group took this as a sign to continue as well. Relena chatted with each person, and eventually made her way up to Heero.

"Do you feel the same as Chang-san?" she asked him.

"I've come here because I was invited. I don't want to insult Kushrenada." He replied.

"Are you enjoying yourself though?" she asked.

He sighed again and thought for a little while.

"I wasn't at first, most geisha here can't carry a good conversation. I was hoping that I would see you."

"Why Yuy-san, you may lead me to believe that you enjoy my company!" Relena said.

"I see that Megumi is teaching you to be just like her." He said.

"That is a bad thing?"

"I'm joking" Heero said, Relena laughed.

"So am I" she said.

She brought up the sleeve of her kimono to hide her face in mock-embarrassment. She laughed freely, and to her surprise, Heero began to chuckle as well.

"I am glad to know that my conversation is wanted" she said and smiled in Heero's direction. He didn't return the smile, but she could tell that he was reciprocating her feelings.

Relena turned her head back to the path and tried to think of something to say. Though she was very attracted to Lord Kushrenada, every time Heero looked at her, or smiled at her, she began to feel torn. This wasn't to say that she was in love with Heero, or Lord Kushrenada, she couldn't help feeling something towards both of them though. Megumi had warned her against such feelings. 'A geisha in love is a geisha out to destroy herself. Men can get very jealous very fast' she had said. It was probably true, thought Relena; though these feelings were very strong. Was she beginning to feel something for these men? Although a relationship would be nice, Megumi was right, it would be disastrous for her. As she was thinking of what to say she almost ran into another person. By the looks of the shoes, the person was a geisha.

"Oh, please forgive me! I simply didn't see where I was go-" she stopped mid-sentence as she looked into the geisha's face.

"Aikyou-san! I didn't know you consorted with such people! You should have told me that you were cultured!"

It was Kayumi, smiling at them as if she knew some secret. Behind her Kayoko and Kazue looked at Relena with the most mischievous glare.


	5. chapter 5

Hello all! Thanks so much to all who reviewed on chapter four. Once again, if you are at all confused about anything said or any of the terms e-mail me! Reviews are nice, but e-mail is great! It means so much to me that you enjoy the story, and care enough to review! Well, here is chapter five, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, or anything related to either of them.

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 5

Heero's day was the usual. Get up, do business, go to parties. Today though, there was a little something extra. Today he was at Treize Kushrenada's cherry blossom viewing party. Not that he enjoyed such things, but today he was being escorted around the estate by Aikyou, Megumi's younger sister. Heero was surprised how intelligent and cunning Aikyou was. She was able to keep up in conversation with him, even if she didn't know what he was talking about. Though she didn't show it, he could tell that she was constantly thinking of clever things to do and say, Megumi's teachings no doubt. She was almost as good looking as Megumi, which certainly was a plus.

His day was going well; having Aikyou there certainly eased the prospect of being at a boring party. Though, with the arrival of Kayumi and her younger sisters, things quickly to take a downward turn.

Aikyou and Kayumi nearly ran over each other. Aikyou apologized, but Kayumi responded very rudely.

"Aikyou-san! I didn't know you consorted with such people! You should have told me that you were cultured!" she said.

Aikyou's smile immediately disappeared. She clearly didn't anticipate seeing Kayumi here. Though she remembered who she was and her smile reappeared. She laughed as if Kayumi was telling a funny joke.

"Kayumi san, I'll never know where you get your sense of humor from!" Aikyou said. She then turned to all the men behind her, "Please allow me to introduce these men to you. You know Yuy-san, Maxwell-san, and Winner-san."

"Of course!" said Kayumi as she and her younger sisters bowed to them.

"This is Trowa Barton of Japan's Imperial Army, and this is Wu Fei Chang of China's Marines."

Kayumi and her younger sisters bowed to them both.

"Military men, what an honor! These two are my younger sisters, Kayoko and Kazue." she said, "I hope you gentlemen are enjoying yourselves. It is so kind of Lord Kushrenada to open his home to all these people."

"We're fine" Wu Fei said, he clearly didn't want to be bothered by any more geisha.

"Chang-san, you don't sound very enthused about the party. If there is anything I can do to make your stay more enjoyable, I would be more than glad to do so!" Kayumi said smiling. Wu Fei seemed to make a scowling face at Kayumi's fake smile.

"I just want to continue onto the next event of the day."

"Well Chang-san, if you are tired of walking, you may go inside the house and I'm sure a servant will find a room for you to rest in, until dinner" Aikyou said.

Wu Fei looked at her skeptically, but then nodded his head.

"That sounds like a good idea. Would you show me the way?" he asked.

Aikyou smile suddenly melted, though it soon came back.

"You do know your way around the estate, don't you?" Wu Fei asked.

"Of course she does!" Kayumi began, "Lord Kushrenada is her older sister's _danna_."

"What does that mean?" Wu Fei said. Heero could tell that he was getting very annoyed very fast. Kayumi looked towards Aikyou with a smile.

"Well, Aikyou should know her way around. You must have been here plenty of times Aikyou, Lord Kushrenada is your older sister's _danna_."

"Well, um" Aikyou began.

She obviously didn't know her way around. It wasn't a bad thing, she was an apprentice and no one expected her to know anything. Wu Fei didn't know that though, and Kayumi was taking advantage of it. She was trying to get Wu Fei to believe that Aikyou was incompetent. From Heero's perspective, it was working.

"Anyway, I can show you to a room if Aikyou isn't able to," Kayumi said. She turned to Kayoko and Kazue who had been silent through the entire conversation, "Why don't you two show the rest of the party around? I'm sure that they would like to see more."

"Yes, thank you" Quatre said.

Kayoko and Kazue bowed and went to Quatre, Trowa, and Duo's side.

"Shall we go?" Kazue asked.

The rest of the group turned to walk away, when Aikyou spoke up. She had been staring daggers towards Kayumi.

"Kayumi-san, I can show Chang-san to a room. You're right; Lord Kushrenada is my older sister's _danna_, and I do know my way around the estate." she said.

Kayumi looked astonished for a fraction of a sentence, but smiled as if she knew something they did not. She ended up relenting to Aikyou.

"Well, I'll leave you to it," she said, "I'll see you tonight then." At that, she left with the rest of the group, while Heero stood with Aikyou and Wu Fei.

"I will rest also" Heero said.

"Well?" Wu Fei said impatiently. He was more then annoyed by now. Heero looked to Aikyou, catching her gaze. He gave a look that was meant to urge her along, for Wu Fei's benefit.

"Come this way please" she said, gesturing towards the house.

She uneasily began to walk to the house. Heero could tell that she had no idea where she was going to find a room for them to rest. He wasn't sure if Wu Fei could tell as well. Once again, he was graced with Aikyou's backside, not that he was one to be influenced by such things of course. She did stand out in her white kimono, something very different from the attending apprentices. Heero guessed that was that was the idea that Megumi had when she put Aikyou in the kimono. Of course, Megumi was right, as always.

As they walked down the path, they were greeted with geisha and people attending the party. Heero could see that they weren't really going anywhere, Aikyou was panicking, he knew by the way she was adjusting her hair and kimono.

"Perhaps I'll sleep through the evening activities" Wu Fei said towards Heero.

It was his way of saying 'I'm very annoyed' Heero guessed. Aikyou shifted her head back towards them, aware of Wu Fei's state of mind.

"Would you like to go through the front entrance?" Aikyou asked them, "It just doesn't seen fit to have guests go through the servant doors!"

Wu Fei looked at her as if she was insane. Heero inwardly grimaced. He knew Wu Fei, and he also knew that Wu Fei didn't like to be played with. The way Aikyou was acting would definitely make him feel uncomfortable.

"What is it with geisha?" he said, almost yelling, "Always taking the long route. I just want to rest!"

"Chang-san-"Aikyou began, but Wu Fei started to walk off without them, "Oh no…" she said quietly to herself.

Heero walked up to her side. He was sure now that Wu Fei had recognized her stalling; Heero had certainly noticed her nervousness the moment Wu Fei asked her to show him to a room. He thought that the harsh comments from Wu Fei would have discouraged Aikyou, but instead, Heero saw a look of determination on her face.

"Excuse me for one moment Yuy-san" she said to him before running off after Wu Fei.

Heero almost called after her, wanting to warn her of the repercussions of confronting an extremely annoyed Wu Fei. Though, it seemed that she was quite set on retrieving him, and Heero opted to stand there and watch the expected disaster, seeing that Aikyou would not be deterred.

He watched Aikyou scurry past a group of people; she slowed in her pursuit, taking the time to bow to them all. Heero smirked to himself, amused at how polite geisha were even in extreme cases. After greeting the people, Aikyou continued over the grass, past a cherry blossom tree, and stopped. She seemed to have lost sight of Wu Fei. Her head darted around nervously, searching for her target. As she turned to the right, she saw Wu Fei, facing her, though his attention seemed to be elsewhere. She began her scurrying again, and in Wu Fei's direction. Wu Fei still hadn't taken notice of her, even when she was a mere ten feet in front of him. Though, when she called out his name, his head snapped to her voice, and he frowned at her approaching figure.

Heero began to loose sight of the spectacle, and walked over the lawn towards them.

"What is it now?" he could hear Wu Fei say, quite agitated.

Aikyou's run had slowed to a fast walk as she came closer to Wu Fei. Just behind Wu Fei, Heero saw that Lord Kushrenada and Megumi were walking amiably along the grass. They were chatting between each other, with large smiles on each of their faces. Heero felt a slight pang of, well, he didn't know. He had never liked Kushrenada, and adding Megumi into the mix was an insult perhaps.

Just as he began to think worse thoughts, he heard a small yelp from Aikyou. His attention immediately went to her as did Kushrenada and Megumi's. Aikyou had lost control of the long sleeves on her kimono, and stepped on one. It wasn't such an odd thing, considering that the kimono sleeves of apprentice geisha were long enough to almost touch the ground. The sleeve was stuck under her foot, so naturally, she began to fall. Wu Fei was caught off guard, considering how close she was to him. It was his natural instinct to move out of the way, so as not to be fallen on. As Heero watched, he wondered if Wu Fei had ever thought to catch Aikyou, thought it seemed not.

Kushrenada and Megumi saw all of this happening. Heero watched as Megumi's hands flew to her open mouth, and her eyes widened. Kushrenada took the opportunity and lunged forward to catch Aikyou in his arms. Megumi ran forwards to tend to her younger sister. Heero also began taking wide strides towards the scene.

"Aikyou! Are you all right?" Megumi asked, very worried.

Aikyou seemed to be somewhat dazed. Kushrenada helped her stand again and began to brush off her kimono. As he did this, Aikyou began to blush furiously, realizing her predicament. Heero had reached the group, just as Kushrenada began to speak.

"You would have taken quite a fall there," he said, "Thank god I caught you!"

"Yes, thank god…" She replied with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Why were you running about the estate?" Megumi asked. There was a slight tone of anger in her voice.

"I, well," Aikyou began, formulating a reply in her head no doubt, "Chang-san had began to walk off while I was talking with Yuy-san, I got the impression that he was offended. I ran after him to see what was wrong" she said. She was modifying the real story slightly, so as not to place blame on Wu Fei, or embarrass herself.

"Really?" Kushrenada asked. Everyone turned to Wu Fei, who was still annoyed, and still angry.

"I wanted a place to rest and she told me that she could find a room for me. No sooner than when we start walking, she begins suggesting unusual things with the wildest reasons!" Wu Fei said angrily, "Like it was 'absurd for guests to go through the servants quarters'; she wanted to bring us round to the front. I don't care what door I go through, I just want some peace and quiet!"

Megumi looked from Wu Fei to Aikyou, who was gazing towards the ground. She seemed to understand the entire situation then.

"You must forgive Aikyou Chang-san," Megumi said, "She has not had the opportunity to come to Lord Kushrenada's estate very often. She knows this estate as well as she knows a foreign country!"

"Well," Wu Fei said, looking a bit guilty for his harshness, "Then don't say you know your way around when you don't!"

"I'm sure she was only trying to help you" Megumi said.

Aikyou had kept her gaze to the ground, as if she wanted to hide her face. Kushrenada spoke up quickly.

"Both you gentlemen need a place to rest, and I haven't had the chance to speak with either of you. Lets all go in the house together" he said.

Everyone seemed to agree, so they began to make their way into the house. The three men walked together, while Megumi and Aikyou walked behind. Heero stole a glance backward to see Megumi talking very hushed to Aikyou. Aikyou was nodding and occasionally replied. He turned his attention back to the path ahead and didn't give it another thought.

。。。。

Relena sat in a small tatami room in the servants' quarters in Lord Kushrenada's estate. She was reminiscing about her embarrassing display just thirty minutes ago. She realized how foolish it was of her to take on a task such as that. It was her first time on the estate, and of course she had no idea where anything was. However, she wasn't going to let Kayumi get the best of her, though it seemed that she already had. No doubt she knew about Relena's little fall, and she had most likely told the story to everyone in her sight. Relena just worried about how much Kayumi would embellish the tale, and what damage it could do.

Just then Megumi entered the room. She said nothing as she sat opposite of Relena in the small tatami room. Megumi looked towards her with a small amount of anger, and something else.

"Running after a man and tripping over him is hardly the appearance I wanted you to give off" she said.

"Megumi-san please, Kayumi was trying to get the better of me, I couldn't just stand by and let her. The way she said things, those men would have thought me incompetent to not know my way around my older sister's _danna's_ estate!" Relena shot back.

"They wouldn't have expected anything from you! Aikyou, you are just an apprentice, barely. Men know that apprentices aren't supposed to do anything than watch and learn. Kayumi has certainly gotten the best of you!" Megumi said.

Relena sighed and put her hand to her forehead.

"Sometimes, I get so confused; I can't tell what is truth and what is not" she said. Megumi's anger slightly lifted after this was said.

"I understand how you feel Aikyou. Kayumi certainly has a way with words. She can make others believe the wildest things, just by saying something a certain way. That is why she so successful."

"She doesn't have a _danna_ though" Aikyou said, "I thought that was the mark of successes for a geisha."

Megumi laughed at this.

"I suppose it is. Kayumi has not had a _danna_ for sometime now." She said reminiscently.

"Kayumi used to have a _danna_?" Relena asked, "Who was he?"

"Some politician. Though, Kayumi must have done something to anger him, or perhaps he just got bored with her. Men can tire of one thing so easily…" said Megumi.

"What happened?"

"The relationship ended. It's that simple. Perhaps he was looking for something different. Like I said, men have such short attention spans!"

Relena decided not to press for more information. Anything concerning Kayumi was a sensitive subject she decided. She did wonder what could have happened between Kayumi and her previous _danna_.

She sighed once again and looked at Megumi.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

"Well," Megumi began, "There are some guests that are asking for tea and sake. You should go attend to them."

"Where?" Relena asked. She was worrying about not knowing her way around. She didn't want to make a fool of herself again.

"Find a servant and ask to be shown to Heero Yuy's room," Megumi said, "You should have no trouble getting around if you do it that way."

"Heero Yuy?" Relena asked, slightly startled, "Wouldn't he appreciate your presence more Megumi-san?"

"If he wanted me he would have made a specific request. You might as well go, Yuy-san is a good man to make friends with, he could help you out in the future."

"Megumi-san, do you mean for Yuy-san to become my _danna_?" Relena asked.

Megumi gazed at her with a very stern look on her face.

"I don't mean for anyone to become your _danna_," she said, "What I meant was that Yuy-san is a good man, and can become a good friend to anyone who will take the time to understand him. Such a friend won't let any good deed go unnoticed."

"Oh" Relena said shortly.

"As for him being your danna, I believe that you are getting quite ahead of yourself Aikyou." Megumi stated.

Although Megumi didn't say it strait out, she deemed that for an apprentice to even be thinking about which man would or wouldn't be her _danna_ was absurd. The attainment of an _danna_ required a lot of work on the geisha's part. Besides attending parties and performing in shows, a geisha devotes much of her time to pleasing her _danna_. The position of a _danna_ was an illustrious one, one that few men could afford. Of course, he would receive certain 'privileges' with the geisha if he wished; and in return for her services (and a way to show his wealth), he would shower her with exotic and expensive gifts. Most men pined for geisha who were talented (in more ways than one), and who were very well known. So one could see how illogical it was for an unfamiliar apprentice geisha to think of things such as obtaining a _danna_. Like Megumi said before, the job of an apprentice is to do no more than observe her older sister. She is virtually unknown to everyone around her, and has as much of a chance of attracting wealthy men as does an old and wrinkled woman.

"Yes, I'm sorry Megumi-san" apologized Relena.

"Yes, well," began Megumi, "Anyway, you had better go to Yuy-san, before someone else beats you to it!"

Relena thought for a split second of Kayoko or Kazue pouring Heero sake or tea; and then she though of Mother adopting one of them. That was the one image that she needed to motivate herself. She bowed to Megumi and left the room.

She walked down the corridor in the direction that she thought was best, though she wasn't quite sure that she was going in the correct direction. She heard the faint murmur of voices, which she assumed was a fraction of the party that had come indoors. She began to walk towards them.

She came around a small corner, and saw a servant exiting a room with a tray in her hands. She was bowing excessively, and then got the most frightened look on her face once she looked back into the room. She quickly bowed again and hurriedly walked towards Relena.

"Excuse me, what is going on?" Relena asked as she stopped her.

The servant put a hand to her face and sighed uneasily.

"I was just bringing tea to that Yuy-san, what a frightening man! No sooner than when I put the tea in front of him, he gave me the most dreadful glare! I felt like I could just drop dead when he looked at me that way!" she said and ran off in the opposite direction of Relena.

Hearing the servant's story, Relena could hardly believe it. Although she had talked with Heero briefly, she didn't find him menacing. Yes, he was very quiet, and did glare ominously at others, but Relena never felt threatened around him. She brushed off that servant's comments and made her way to Heero Yuy's room.

As she walked up to the doorway, Heero turned around to see who was there.

"Oh, its you," he said, "I thought it was that servant girl again."

Relena believed that she knew Heero well enough to joke with him, though she understood that she would have to be very careful about what she said. She remembered what Megumi had said about him, and Relena was determined not to fail in this pursuit.

"Yuy-san, you know that most people don't understand your customs, you shouldn't be so annoyed!" she said.

"And you know my customs?" he asked.

"Well, I know enough" she replied. He looked at her with a hint of puzzlement.

"Enough for what?"

"Enough to know when not to provoke you, now stop teasing me!" she said playfully, hoping that he wouldn't be offended.

Much to her luck and happiness, he wasn't. He glanced to her feet and then gave her a look as if to beckon her.

"Don't stand there if you don't plan to come in" he said.

Relena nodded as she began to enter the room. Though before she sat down next to Heero, she heard two voices in a heated conversation in the opposite room. They were the voices of a man and a woman, and both sounded angry. Heero also heard the voices, and stood up, intrigued.

"I'm not going to mess with people's mind like you do Noin. Especially not hers" said the man.

"Why, because she is your sister? I know that you had a large part in her becoming an apprentice geisha. You know that she jeopardizes our chances!" the woman retorted.

"I couldn't let her just rot in that okiya."

"Oh, let her rot! She is just a burden to you. Do you think that she could have gotten an older sister without your help? You have made things much more complicated!"

"I know and I'm sorry. I," he said as his voice caught, "Forgive me Noin, but I can't continue with this anymore."

There was an awkward silence between the two. Relena looked to Heero uneasily, as if she didn't think it right to be listening in on someone's conversation. Though, Heero stood there, not moving, and continued to listen.

"You don't mean it" the woman said. It sounded as if she was on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry," said the man again, "I've ruined your life enough, and now that Relena is involved with this, I just can't choose between the two of you."

Relena gasped at the sound of her name. Heero looked to her quizzically. It was Milliardo in that room, Milliardo and some woman.

"I see," the woman said, "Well Zechs, you're going to have to choose sooner or later. You had better think of making the right choice!"

Suddenly the door was thrown open, putting Relena face to face with Kayumi. Relena gasped even louder than before as she looked Kayumi straight in the eyes. She was in such shock, that she forgot all of her manners. She didn't avert her gaze, and she didn't bow and apologize. She just couldn't stop staring at Kayumi.

Kayumi's violet eyes were alight with such a bright fire it frightened Relena to the depths of her heart. Kayumi could have set Relena on fire by just gazing at her it seemed. Relena could obviously see that Kayumi was doing her best to contain her blazing rage.

"I suppose you heard all of it," she said furiously, "Your brother is very loyal to you, others can only hope for such person!"

Relena flinched as Kayumi spit words out of her mouth. Kayumi didn't say anything else and walked off in a fit of pique, leaving a very open and delicate situation.

Relena's gaze shifted to Zechs, who was still in the opposite room. He was looking at her so intensely, trying to say something and searching for the right words it seemed. Though, he couldn't move himself so speak. Relena looked at him, horrified. He was her brother, he did lie to her face, and he had intentionally hurt her. She began to shake her head as tears began to cloud her vision.

Heero stepped forward to her side. She had almost forgotten that he was there as she turned her face to him. He was staring at Zechs with what she assumed was the same frightening stare that he gave the servant girl earlier. The way he looked at Zechs, Relena wondered if he knew him previously. She knew that glare, and she understood that Heero had a great dislike, perhaps even hatred, for Zechs.

Relena turned back to Zechs. She started to shake her head again, trying to say something intelligible; though, she blurted out the first thing that she thought of.

"It was a woman!" she exclaimed, she could not control what she said anymore, all her inhibitions were lost to shock.

"Relena-" Zechs began, but Relena cut him off and continued on her assailment.

"You left for a woman, and then when you coincidentally meet with me again, you convince Megumi-san to become my older sister? Do you feel pity for me? You feel guilt for what you left me with, so you try to fix the situation, but only make it worse?" she said.

"It isn't like that, you will listen to my explanation!" Zechs pleaded.

"No!" stated Relena, "What is wrong with you! You left Father and me for a woman, _that_ woman? What do you see in her?" Relena blurt out.

Zechs began to walk towards her, but he stopped when he saw the look on Relena's face. She was mortified with his behavior, his actions. She brought her hands to cover her mouth as she looked at him with disgust.

"Oh god!" she said behind her hands.

Heero grabbed a hold of her right arm and began to pull her back into the room. She didn't fight him; she only stared at the retreating view of her brother.

"I suggest you leave for the moment," Heero said to Zechs as he slid the door shut with a loud rap. After a few moments, they could hear Zechs heavy footsteps walking off in a different direction.

Relena stumbled backwards as Heero turned to her. She couldn't gather the strength to stand any longer, so she dropped to the floor, still in quite a shock. Heero stayed standing, looking upon her with the utmost interest. He walked a few short steps and sat down right in front of her.

"Zechs Marquise is your brother?" he asked.

Relena nodded, though she now didn't want to admit it.

"Yes, yes he is," she said raggedly, "He's been Megumi-san's dresser for all the time I have been with her, and he denied every bit of it!"

Heero's fixed gaze on her remained as she spoke.

"He bribed Megumi-san into becoming my older sister…" she said and began to cry.

She didn't want to cry in front of Heero, though the much recent events stripped her of all inhibitions, and she could not control any of her feelings or thoughts. The entire scene had happened in front of Heero, so she didn't care how imprudent she looked to him, her talking and her crying was more for herself than anyone.

"Megumi-san doesn't allow herself to be bribed; that is not the case" Heero said.

"He convinced her then! Whatever he did, it made her go to Mother and ask for my apprenticeship," she sobbed, "I feel like such a fool."

"Anyone would" he said, his words not at all comforting. Though, Relena didn't think that he was trying to comfort her. He seemed much more interested that Zechs Marquise was her brother.

He continued to stare at her, making Relena feel more and more exposed by the second. It suddenly dawned on her that Heero, in some way, also knew her brother. An urgent need for understanding reclaimed her.

"How do you know my brother?" she asked him.

Heero frowned at her and finally looked away. She was hoping that he wouldn't lie to her as well, that he wouldn't keep things from her, things that she had a right to know.

"I had a confrontation with him when I first came to Kyoto" Heero said bluntly.

Relena could tell that he wasn't going to say anything else on the matter, so she didn't press him for more answers. She hung her head as she pulled a handkerchief from her obi, and began to dab away at her eyes. She was desperately trying to save her makeup, though she couldn't tell what had become of her face.

She thought of how Kayumi had looked at her as she came out of the room. Relena had the most unpleasant feeling in her gut. Kayumi was sure to double her efforts in demolishing Relena. Now, that Heero had seen everything between her brother and Kayumi, he was sure to piece bits together and figure some things out. She suddenly moved so that she was directly in front of Heero. She brought her hands in front of her on the tatami mats to form a triangle, and bowed very low.

"Please sir," she said, "Please forgive me for the things that you have witnessed. I would never forget your kindness if you kept this all to yourself! Please indulge in my request!"

She could tell that he was staring down at her, she was silently praying that he would go along with her proposal.

"I will tell no one" he said. Relena sat upright when she heard this. She bowed again to signify her thanks.

"I thank you," she said, "This will not be forgotten."

Heero didn't say anything to that, but made a shot bow in return. He looked at the tea set that was still on the table. He put his hand to the pot and sighed.

"Practically cold" he said.

"I don't suppose that you still want some?" she asked him. He shook his head, and then looked at his watch.

"We still have a few hours until the evening dinner" he stated.

Relena inwardly groaned. All she wanted to do was to go find an empty room and just sit there, alone. She couldn't leave Heero to entertain himself, so of course, she was required to come up with an activity, even though Heero didn't seem to keen on doing anything either.

"Perhaps we need some fresh air," she said, hoping that a stroll would get her mind off her brother, "Shall I accompany you on a walk over the grounds?"

Heero didn't reply right away, nevertheless, he nodded his head and stood up.

Relena though that she was going to have another episode of faking her knowledge of the estate, but Heero began to walk down the hallway confidently. She assumed that he knew where he was going. She followed him through the hallways, and they eventually found themselves in a large, western decorated room. Big chairs and benches with lots of cushions lined the walls. A large pendulum clock stood in one corner. Heero stopped in the middle of the room and observed two doorways that lead to different destinations.

"This way, I assume" he said, and walked off to his right.

"You assume?" Relena asked, wondering just how confidant Heero was in his choice.

"I'm just as ignorant in my knowledge of this estate as you are" he said.

Relena fell further into her slump at hearing this. Although it was up to her to find their way, she was hoping that Heero had an idea of the house layout.

"Let me find a servant to assist us," she said while trying to keep up with his long strides, "Yuy-san, stop and wait here."

"In the middle of a hallway?" Heero asked her. Relena sighed, it was quite a ludicrous suggestion. She never thought that this trip would be so difficult and eventful.

"Let's go back to that western room, you can wait there while I find someone."

"You'll get lost," Heero retorted, "We had better stay together."

"Well, we should go back to that room, to re-orient ourselves." She countered.

"Very well" Heero said after pausing, and followed her back down the corridor.Relena wasn't sure that this was the way back to the western styled room, and she was sure that Heero didn't know either. They were walking blindly through possibly the largest house in existence. Relena shook her head in disbelief as they came around a corner, only to be faced with another hallway.

"Too much space" Heero muttered to himself. He was obviously getting annoyed.

Relena sighed. She just couldn't get her mind off of her brother and Kayumi. Everything was going wrong. She made a fool of herself chasing after Wu Fei, the truth about her brother came crashing down upon her, and now she was lost in the labyrinth of Lord Kushrenada's house, fruitlessly walking around the corridors. It was not her day.

"Too much space indeed" Relena said as she sighed.

She was about to suggest that they continue on their way, when around the corner, came Lord Kushrenada accompanied by an apprentice that was very familiar to Relena.

"Lord Kushrenada!" she said, surprised. She was even more surprised when she recognized the apprentice.

"Tomomi-san!" she exclaimed again.

"Aikyou-san, I didn't think I would be able to find you after I left the tatami room!" Tomomi said. She bowed to Relena and then bowed to Heero who was at her side.

Relena bowed back to her, and then bowed to Lord Kushrenada, who smiled in response.

"What are you doing around here Aikyou?" he asked with a concerned tone. Relena blushed at the sound of his voice, though luckily her makeup was hiding it.

"Well, Yuy-san and I were trying to find our way to the grounds. We decided to take a short walk. But this house is so large, we lost our way!" She said.

Lord Kushrenada gave Relena an odd smile when she said this. She wasn't quite sure how to interpret this, though she smiled back anyway.

"Should I be jealous?" Lord Kushrenada asked, though Relena knew that he was joking.

"I'm not sure sir," she said, "Isn't that something that you must figure out yourself?" she asked, being very bold.

She thought that Lord Kushrenada would be offended, but much to her surprise, he threw his head back and began to laugh. Tomomi also began to laugh quietly. Relena didn't know if she should join them, so she expressed her amusement with a certain smile. One that Megumi told her to use if she didn't know how to respond to a man's comment. The man could look at the smile, and think whatever he wanted about it. Megumi said that it was very useful and had helped her in certain situations.

Lord Kushrenada had clamed down and saw her smile, she could tell that he was interpreting it, how, she didn't know.

"I see," he said, "I'll have to watch you more closely in the future Aikyou."

To her side, Relena could hear Heero grunt to himself. She decided not to respond to him, and only bowed to Lord Kushranada.

"Tomomi and I just came from the grounds, I'm sure she can show you where to go," Lord Kushrenada said, "Can you do that Tomomi?" he asked turning to the apprentice.

"Of course Lord Kushrenada!" she said. She then looked to Relena and Heero, "This way, please" she said and began to walk back in the direction that she came.

Heero followed her the moment she started to walk. Relena followed Tomomi as well, though she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Lord Kushrenada behind her. The way he was looking a her made her a bit uncomfortable; however, she didn't let it show.

"Lord Kushrenada?" she said quizzically, she felt that he wanted to tell her something.

"Yes, Aikyou. I-" he began, but stopped suddenly, as though he forgot what he was going to say.

"Sir?" Relena said.

Lord Kushrenada looked into her eyes. His gaze began to slip away from her face and down to her neck, her chest, her hips, legs…. Relena became more and more tense as she saw his gaze move up and down her body. As his eyes came back to look at hers, she experienced a dull sensation, all the feeling in her body began to leave.

"No, tis nothing" he said. He smiled at her once more before walking away.

Relena's breath quickened as she could sense her limbs and body again. What had just happened, what was Lord Kushrenada trying to say? The way he looked at her, the way he examined her body; it made her feel slightly frightened, if not angry with him. She felt violated almost. Though when he smiled, she couldn't help but be gravitated to him once more. Perhaps it was his charm, they way he acted around people. She tried to push the feeling from her mind, and decided to continue on with her day, no matter how difficult it became for her. Though, she couldn't shake what she had experienced earlier, and she couldn't banish the thought of being violated by Lord Kushrenada. Perhaps he had interpreted her smile in a most unfavorable way.


	6. chapter 6

Once again, thanks to all who reviewed on chapter five! Do ya'll like where this is going? Please be patient with me if the story seems to be slow, I'm just building up to the inevitable climax. Patience is a virtue, enjoy.

**AN**: Please do not comment on/flame me about the WWII facts. I'm trying to stay true to the overall WWII timeline, but also I'm making most of it up for the sake of the story plot. So once again, please do not remind me of any inaccuracies, I already know I'm not being completely truthful!

Thanks!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Wing or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, or anything related to either of them.

**Warnings**: language (derogatory names, swearing)

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 6

。。。。

Relena sat in the dining area of the Itoo okiya on a lazy Sunday afternoon reading a newspaper. She decided that she should rest, and conserve all her energy for the night, for that was when she would embark to many parties. She was now three months into her apprenticeship, and she was busy as ever.

Since Lord Khushrenada's cherry blossom viewing party, she had seen plenty more of Khushrenada, and also Heero Yuy. Both of them were swamping her with requests to attend their parties, so much so that she could never go to all of them. Since she and Heero had run into Khushrenada in the hall that day, the men were never seen at the same party together. For some reason, Relena got the feeling that Heero didn't like Khushrenada, and possibly vice a versa.

Relena also found herself not liking the company of Khushrenada; she much preferred the company of Heero. When Khushrenada looked at her the way he did, she had felt violated, and he didn't even have to touch her. She could only imagine the look on Heero's face if he saw Khushrenada's distasteful display, and she was thankful that he had already moved on with Tomomi. Relena did tell Megumi about it, though she wasn't sure how she would take it. Relena had all reason to believe that Megumi would be jealous, but to her surprise, Megumi was more apprehensive about it than anything else.

flashback

"You're not angry Megumi-san?" Relena had asked her. She had gone to Megumi's apartment one afternoon and had lunch with her over the subject. Megumi shook her head.

"No, not angry. It does make me think about something though" Megumi said.

Relena furrowed her brow at this, she didn't know why Megumi wasn't angry, she certainly would be if her _danna_ had looked at another woman like Khushrenada had looked at her.

"Quite the contrary," Megumi started, "Do you know that Kayoko has started her _mizuage_?" Megumi asked Relena. Relena was slightly taken aback by the sudden and un-tactical change of subject; but it did bring up the subject she wanted to talk about.

"That is something that I wanted to ask you Megumi-san, what is a _mizuage_?" Relena asked.

Megumi looked at her uneasily and folded her hands in her lap. She tried to speak several times, but Relena could tell that she was very hesitant to answer the question. Megumi sighed and began to talk.

"Aikyou, have you ever noticed how some men look at women? How their eyes follow her every movement, and trace up and down every bit of skin that shows?" she said.

Relena thought of Khushrenada and how he looked at her. She assumed that this is what Megumi was talking about.

"I have some idea" Relena said, when actually she was pretty sure of her thought.

"It's different from how a man would look at his mother or his sister. It's not a plutonic look; it's a look of lust, of desire. The emotions that can stir up within a man provoke several physical occurrences. You see Aikyou, every man has a sort of snake on him, and that snake is always looking for a place it can rest in."

Relena wondered what on earth Megumi was talking about. She understood about the look, but she couldn't make out Megumi's snake analogy.

"And where is this snake on a man's body?" Relena asked very perturbed.

"Around this area" Megumi answered as she motioned her hand around her private parts. Relena wrinkled her nose in disgust, but then clapped a hand over her gasping mouth.

"I know where the snake rests!" she blurted out, quite loudly.

Megumi looked at her, astonishment on her face. She clearly wasn't expecting such a loud outburst from Relena. She continued to look at her for a few moments, and then the corners of her mouth began to turn up. Relena saw this and wondered if Megumi was going to ridicule her. The corners of Megumi's mouth turned more and more, revealing teeth; and Megumi couldn't help herself from opening her mouth and laughing.

"What is so funny?" Relena asked, slightly taken aback.

"Oh…Aikyou…you are quite the entertainer!" Megumi said between breaths.

"What?" Relena asked again, not understanding the joke at all.

"Oh well, where do you think the snake rests Aikyou?" Megumi asked, trying to calm herself, she seemed to her emotions under control now.

"Well, the snake is at the same spot on a man as the hole is on a woman!" Relena said.

Megumi nodded, smiling the largest smile Relena had ever seen on her face.

"Is that," Relena began, but leaned into Megumi and proceeded to speak in a whisper, "Is that what they call sex?"

Megumi couldn't help from laughing again, though she was much more controlled.

"Yes Aikyou, that is what they call sex. Men will pay dearly for that, especially if a girl has not been touched before."

Relena frowned at that before huffing out a laugh herself.

"Men pay for, for an untouched girl?" she asked.

"Yes," Megumi said, "A virgin. That is the _mizuage_, the taking of a virgin."

"But Megumi-san," Relena said, astonished, "That is prostitution!"

Megumi's smile dropped slowly, she was no longer laughing. She was looking down into her lap, as if she were ashamed.

"In simple terms, yes, it is prostitution. Most don't want to see it that way. I suppose calling it _mizuage_ makes it a more tasteful event, though it is what it is."

Relena paused at what Megumi said. During her conversations with Eriko, the girl had always spoke of the importance of love in a relationship, and Relena was beginning see the virtues in love, though Megumi warned against such thoughts.

"Megumi-san, does a geisha have any say in who buys her _mizuage_?" she asked. When Megumi shook her head, Relena spoke up immediately, "Isn't it important that your first time be with someone you care for?" she exclaimed.

"Aikyou, what have I-" Megumi began.

"I know," interrupted Relena, "'A geisha almost never gets what she truly wants.'"

"Yes, you would do well to remember that." Megumi said.

Relena nodded as she looked down at her food. She couldn't, or rather, wouldn't imagine the horrible things that geisha are obligated to do. She immediately thought of Kayumi. She must have gone though a _mizuage. _Perhaps something dreadful happened to her during the encounter, something that emotionally scarred her. There had to be something that made her act the way she did.

Relena's thoughts of Kayumi began to turn once again to the cherry blossom party, and her brother. There had to be an ulterior motive to his actions. She was so surprised at the time; she just said the first words that came to her mind. In retrospect, speaking her mind was the exact thing that she shouldn't have done. She silently cursed herself. She should have calmed down; she should have waited for an explanation. Now she highly doubted that she would ever get another chance to figure things out, but she'd be damned if she didn't try.

"I was thinking of beginning the bidding for your _mizuage_, Aikyou" stated Megumi.

Relena's head snapped up at this, she had zoned Megumi out as she thought of Milliardo. What Megumi said, was she serious?

"What?" Relena said, "Are you so sure Megumi-san? I've only been an apprentice for a few months! I wouldn't dream of doing something like that now. It's far too soon!"

Megumi sighed and shook hear head. She grunted in anger.

"I know it is soon, but Kayumi is pushing it. We can wait and see how much Kayoko's price is, but I don't want to wait too long. If Kayoko turns out a high bill, then Mother might consider her for adoption, and we can't let that happen."

"Megumi-san, I'm not even seventeen," Relena said, her fifteenth birthday had occurred the last week, "Even Kayoko is not seventeen! People will think it very strange that a fifteen year old apprentice is starting her _mizuage_."

"It isn't that strange," Megumi said, "Though if Mother adopts Kayoko, then what will you do?"

Relena hung her head in confusion, what would she do? What was she going to do now? The mere idea of a _mizuage_ frightened her greatly. She could just imagine herself placed underneath someone such as Khushrenada, him hovering above her. She blushed at herself, surprised that she could think of a thought like that. It scared her that such a thing was possible. She didn't want it to pass, though she couldn't argue with Megumi.

"I don't know Megumi-san," Relena said, "I will do as you say"

Megumi nodded at Relena's answer. Inside, Relena was bursting to shout her disapproval of such a disgusting thing that the _mizuage_ was.

"You had better listen to me," said Megumi, "You will need help in achieving a high _mizuage_ price. Men won't come flocking to you right away."

"How do we go about this?" Relena asked Megumi. She had no idea how a _mizuage_ was conducted. From her conversation with Tomomi, men would make bids of money on it. Relena crinkled her nose at the thought of men competing for a girl's virginity. Megumi gave a look of annoyance at Relena's face.

"I will talk with Mother first. This is a good chance to alert her to your status, I am also sure that she would like hear about it from me rather than hear it through gossip," Megumi replied, "Then I will go to the mistress of the teahouse that you patronize the most and request that she open the bidding for your _mizuage._ After this, you and I will track down the men that will most likely bid for your _mizuage_, and present them with _okubo_."

Relena blushed at the last comment. She had seen _okubo_, and now that she knew what a _mizuage_ was, she realized how suggestive _okubo_ was. _Okubo_ was a sweet bun that was indented in the middle with a red like food. Relena blushed again, and Megumi saw this.

"How…how embarrassing!" Relena stammered. Megumi slightly laughed.

"It is much more embarrassing for the man than it is for you" she said.

"How do we know who to present it to?" Relena asked.

"Who ever has been requesting your presence the most" Megumi replied simply. Relena frowned, and then widened her eyes after a few moments of quick pondering.

"That would mean, Lord Khushrenada…" She began. Before she could finish, Megumi interrupted.

"Yes, Lord Khushrenada will expect _okubo_ from you," she said tersely. Relena couldn't tell if Megumi was angry or annoyed.

"But Megumi-san, Lord Khushrenada is your _danna_; he cannot have dealings with other women while he is with you!" Relena said. Megumi shook her head.

"My _danna_ he may be, but that hardly forbids him to be with other women. If a man has the means, he may occupy as many geisha as he pleases! He has been calling on you so much in the past few months, it would be a blatant insult to not present him with _okubo_" She said.

"Very well" Relena said. She looked down into her lap, not anticipating the look on Khushrenada's face when she gave him _okubo_. Megumi sighed sympathetically as she gazed at Relena.

"Aikyou, I understand how you feel about the way he looked at you during the cherry blossom party," Megumi said, "I know you feel debased," Relena nodded at this, Megumi continued, "But you must ignore it. In your career, countless men will look at you the same way and you will never be comforted by it. You can either wallow in your embarrassment, or you can use this weakness in men to your own advantage."

Relena looked up at Megumi, wondering what she was thinking.

"Use it to my advantage?" she questioned. Megumi nodded.

"Imagine what you could make men do if they believed that they liked you; imagine how high you could drive the price of your _mizuage_" Megumi insinuated. Relena gasped at what Megumi said.

"Megumi-san, I'm not going to fool people in to thinking or doing something!" she said, and that was true. She didn't care how respected Megumi was, there was no way Relena was going to be manipulative.

"I didn't say that. A little flirtation doesn't hurt. Most men know that when a geisha flirts with him, she means nothing by it. But sometimes men can't distinguish between innocent flirting and hints of love. A truly skilled geisha understands that fine line, and knows how to walk it. Besides, I recall that you spoke to a certain teacher about wanting an older sister" Megumi said as she smirked at Relena.

"I-I did nothing of the sort!" Relena retorted. Megumi's smirk turned into a smile.

"Aikyou, you do know what I am talking about," she said, "And that kind of interaction will get you ahead in this career."

Relena nodded as she sighed.

"Whoever thought of the _mizuage_, in my opinion, is a very foul person." Relena said angrily.

"That I do not know" said Megumi.

end flashback

Relena frowned at the thought of her conversation with Megumi. There were so many things that she now knew, and most of the things that she did know, she wished that she had never learned.

Now that she thought of it, she would have to present Heero Yuy with _okubo_ as well. He had also called for her presence at a number of parties. She groaned at the thought of giving Heero _okubo_. She knew that he wasn't the type of person that would appreciate that. She was certain of it.

She let her head drop to the table below her; she inhaled deeply and exhaled. What was she going to do? Not only did she have two men to balance between, but she also had the ordeal with Milliardo and Kayumi to think about. Making matters worse, she lived with Kayumi. She had done her best to avoid her, and managed to stay out of her sight most of the time. They only saw each other on the street really; they were both so busy that neither of them spent much time in the okiya. They never had time to talk, and Relena was glad for it. No doubt Kayumi wanted to confront her, and possibly threaten her to not tell anyone what she saw. Relena nearly laughed at the thought, she had no intention of telling people, she wanted to keep it a secret just as much and Kayumi would.

Relena sighed as she rested her head on the table. Once again she groaned, almost growled, at all the things that battled for her attention. It was so much to think about.

"What am I going to do?" she asked to no one.

"Talking to yourself again Aikyou?"

Relena's head shot up. Kayoko was standing before her in the doorway. Relena frowned; she hadn't even heard the door slide open. Kayoko's charming little smile widened at Relena's furrowed brow. She was obviously congratulating herself on catching Relena off-guard.

"Good afternoon Kayoko-san" Relena said, not forgetting her place. She bowed slightly, just enough to be considered polite, but no more.

Kayoko bowed back and took a seat opposite of Relena. She smoothed out her kimono as she settled herself onto the tatami mats. She was still smiling at Relena as she looked across the table. Relena almost inquired as to what she was smirking about, but Kayoko snatched the newspaper out of Relena's hands.

"You could ask for permission" Relena said, quite annoyed. Kayoko only smiled.

"I don't need permission from you," she said, "Perhaps if you had come here before me, but that isn't the case, is it?"

Relena sighed as she watched Kayoko pretend to read the paper. Kayoko was a constant nuisance, and Relena was sure that she was a nuisance to Kayoko.

She continued to watch Kayoko, all while thinking of how to bring up the subject of _mizuage_. It was such a delicate topic, Relena wasn't sure if Kayoko would want to talk about it. Surely she knew what it was, and surely she had some reservations about it, who wouldn't? It was such an embarrassing thing to converse about.

Kayoko looked up from the paper and eyed Relena. She wasn't smiling anymore, doubtlessly because Relena was staring at her so. She set the paper aside and snapped Relena out of her contemplation.

"What?" she said sweetly, though Relena knew she was annoyed.

"Kayoko-san," Relena began, but now that she was going to say something, words were lost upon her, "I have heard…that is…you will…beginning soon-"

"My _mizuage_," Kayoko finished, "Yes, it has started. Though I don't know the current bid, Kayumi-san tells me that it is quite a sum!"

She grinned at Relena, probably in satisfaction, knowing that Relena had not started her _mizuage_, and for her to lag behind would be dangerous to her status in the okiya.

Relena resisted the great urge to snap at Kayoko, but she thought better of it.

"So what is it you want to know about my _mizuage_?" Kayoko asked.

"Oh, yes," Relena said. Once again, words were lost upon her. Was she really going to ask Kayoko of her feeling on the subject? No, that would be far too forward, it was best not to ask, "Well I, never mind" she finally said. Kayoko couldn't help but smirk again.

"Aikyou, ask what you want, I won't be offended," Kayoko said, though Relena couldn't believe her, "I can tell that your itching to ask something."

Relena sighed, for some reason almost nothing escaped Kayoko. It was just her choice whether or not to pursue her inklings.

"All right," Relena began once again, "Megumi-san had talked to me about _mizuage_, and I know that I have very strong feelings about it. Since the bidding for yours has started, I was just…just wondering how you felt about it." Relena sighed once she had gotten it out. She chose her words very carefully, in the most delicate manner. Now she could only hope that Kayoko wouldn't find her too bold.

Kayoko smiled as Relena gazed at her. It took Relena a few moments to realize that Kayoko was laughing at her. It started only as a giggle, now she was outright laughing.

"What is so funny?" Relena asked, slightly appalled that Kayoko could be laughing at such a thing.

"Aikyou, how can you stand being so naive?" she said. Relena frowned at her comment. Kayoko then calmed down, "Of course I have thoughts about it. Why, who wouldn't?"

"And what are those thoughts, if you don't mind" Relena said. Kayoko was no longer smiling at Relena; instead her face was quite illegible. She turned her torso slightly, slid opened the door, and yelled for a maid.

"How hard is it to get food around here?" she screamed. Relena jumped in surprise at Kayoko's sudden outburst. It was abrupt and had nothing to do what they were talking about. Perhaps she was making Kayoko uncomfortable; but she had to know of Kayoko's opinion.

"What are you screaming about now?"

Relena and Kayoko turned to the doorway to see who was talking to them, it was Auntie, and she was looking very annoyed.

"Auntie please, I only want lunch!" Kayoko said innocently.

"She's been here a total of four months and she thinks she owns the place!" Auntie said, put out by Kayoko's comment, "In case you have forgotten Kayoko, nothing happens in this okiya with out Mother's permission."

Auntie was standing in the doorway now. She was leaning against the frame with her arms crossed, ginning at both Relena and Kayoko. There was something very aggressive and intimidating about her stance. Relena suddenly got the impression that she would not like to meet Auntie under different circumstances. Kayoko scoffed at what Auntie had said.

"I never took you as a stickler for the rules Auntie" Kayoko said. Auntie only smiled back at her.

"I never was, and I'm not now" Auntie said. She nodded to Relena and left the room. Kayoko smirked after her.

"What a good actor she is" Kayoko said.

"One must be a good actor in our line of work" stated Relena.

Kayoko's smile disappeared. She looked down at the table and drummed her fingers on it. She sighed before looking back at Relena, with her smile back on her face. What was going through her mind?

"How true," she said and quickly changed the subject again, "Now about the _mizuage_, why do you want to know so much about it?"

"I-I just want to know how you feel. I mean, doesn't it sound so…vulgar to you?"

"It doesn't matter what I think" Kayoko said swiftly, but Relena was quick to answer.

"That may be, but that doesn't mean you have nothing to say," she said to Kayoko, who seemed to be getting more and more annoyed as Relena continued, "You must have some opinions, Kayoko-san."

"Why would I share them with you?" she spat and closed her eyes, most likely in frustration, "So you can go and spill all of my secrets to Megumi?"

"Megumi-san" Relena corrected as she glared at Kayoko.

"Fine," Kayoko yielded. She opened her eyes to glare back at Relena, "Your walking a thin line Aikyou-_san_."

Relena frowned at Kayoko, but didn't say anything.

"I won't tell you anything; and I'm sure that Kayumi won't be very happy about your prying" Kayoko said. She grinned maliciously at Relena.

"I still don't know why you are so dispassionate about the _mizuage_; it's prostitution. No matter what anyone says, that is what it is" stated Relena. Kayoko frowned.

"What ideas are Megumi putting in your head?" Kayoko whispered slowly to her, "She has such an uncanny way of enchanting everyone around her."

"Megumi isn't plotting anything, if that's what you mean" Relena said. She didn't like the sardonic tone that Kayoko was using, especially when she spoke of Megumi.

"Of course not!" Kayoko said rather sarcastically, but became serious again, "She must be thinking of something. Like whom she wants your _mizuage_ patron to be; hum, I do wonder."

Relena suddenly felt the need to get away from Kayoko. It was true that Megumi had several men in mind for Relena's _mizuage_ patron. For Kayoko to find out who they were would not be good. She would go to Kayumi and tell everything that she knew, and then who knows what Kayumi might do.

"She hasn't talked about my _mizuage_ at all," Relena said, "So if Megumi-san is planning anything, I have no idea."

Kayoko laughed out loud at her, it was obvious that she didn't believe Relena.

"Oh please Aikyou, you are the worst liar I have ever seen!" she said, "Let me think, who have you been with the most in these past months?"

The room began to grow hotter as the seconds went on. Kayoko was clever; she had fooled Relena into taking money from her and had fooled her into doing many other things as well. Kayoko had a way with words, influencing people to think in certain ways. She was what some would call a slippery snake. Now Relena would have to be clever. Somehow she couldn't let slip who was going to bid for her _mizuage_.

"Lord Khushrenada has been very benevolent to you of late," Kayoko continued, "But so has Heero Yuy, which I find very puzzling."

"Puzzling? How so?" Relena asked, trying to sound indifferent to everything that Kayoko said.

"Heero Yuy hates Gion. You can see it in the way he acts when he is here. He never talks, he despises most geisha, and he gets very unpleasant whenever someone tries to speak with him. The only reason he comes here is because of his American friend."

Relena was fuming beneath her cool façade. Kayoko had Heero all wrong. If she took the time to try and understand him, she would not feel the same. He just wasn't the type of person to be taken away by material needs and desires. But she couldn't voice her opinions, she couldn't let Kayoko see that she was getting to know Heero; understanding his little quirks, why he acted the way he did. Though he never showed anything openly, Relena was no fool, she could see his hidden opinions.

"Oh" was all she said. She looked down towards the table, trying to seem as if she didn't care. She heard Kayoko laugh again; and somehow she knew that her gesture let on more than it was supposed to. Kayoko gasped.

"Heero Yuy!" she said. She clapped her hands together excitedly, "Of course, why didn't I see that before?"

"N-No, your mistaken," Relena said hurriedly, "I told you that Megumi-san hasn't even begun to think about my mizuage!"

"Oh stop it Aikyou, you can't lie to me," Kayoko laughed, "Who else would it be? He invites you to most of his parties; besides Megumi, you are the only geisha he doesn't snap at. How wonderful for you as well; I see that there could be something there, something more than…a mutual acquaintance?" teased Kayoko.

Relena frowned at Kayoko's little jab. She opened her mouth to refute the claim, but she quickly remembered the predicament she was in. If Kayoko found out who her potential _mizuage_ patrons were, all her and Megumi's efforts would be lost. She racked her brain for any way to knock Kayoko off track. What could she say? No offhand comment would derail Kayoko. Relena would have to lie; something that she was not good at. She would have to give a name, some name other than Heero Yuy.

"It's not Heero Yuy," she blurted. Kayoko looked to her and frowned.

"So Megumi has been looking into your mizuage. Aikyou, you bad girl! You shouldn't lie so!" Kayoko said mockingly as she shook her forefinger at Relena.

Relena sighed in irritation, all while thinking of whose name, or features that she could present. Not Khushreanada, Kayoko couldn't learn about him either.

"You shouldn't be so concerned about this," Relena said, "I-I could care less about Heero Yuy."

Kayoko laughed again. Relena frowned at this; Kayoko was not buying her little lie. She wished that she could have Megumi at her side, or someone to help disprove Kayoko's speculations.

"Well if it's not Heero Yuy then who is it?" Kayoko asked, trying to contain her amusement, "Duo Maxwell? That obnoxious American?" she laughed even harder at the thought.

Kayoko meant this to be a joke, Relena was sure, but she saw it as an opportunity to save herself. The thought was ridiculous, though it might just work. Duo Maxwell was hardly the person that most would think of for a _mizuage_ patron. Although he was rich, he was foreign, belonging to the 'enemy' country so to speak, and did not have the social ties that someone like Khushrenada had. Relena almost laughed herself, but stopped before the first snicker could escape her lips. She thought quickly and acted fast; Relena forced herself to gasp, she only hoped that Kayoko would catch on.

Kayoko did catch on indeed. Once Relena gasped, Kayoko's smile disappeared and she stopped laughing. She looked at Relena as if she had discovered something completely unknown to the world.

"Oh my-" she began, but Relena stood from the table, cutting Kayoko off.

"I feel the need for a walk," she said, feigning boredom, "Have a pleasant afternoon Kayoko-san" she said.

She quickly left the room to prevent Kayoko from saying anything further. She only hoped that she had done the right thing.

。。。。

It was late in the day, and he didn't like waiting. He would wait, but he did not want to.

Heero leaned up against the balcony of his room at the Kawada Inn. Duo and Quatre were seated inside around a table on the tatami mats. It was unusually quiet in the room. The lack of Duo and Quatre's jovial chatter made the atmosphere feel ominous and no one could deny the sudden feeling of trepidation that they all felt.

They were all waiting for their guests to arrive. It was essential that nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Looks would certainly turn to their rooms if anyone saw the company that they were about to receive.

Some would have thought it unusual to have sake in the afternoon, but their guise was that they were a couple of friends meeting after not seeing each other for a long spell. Of course their conversations would prove otherwise.

Heero flicked the cigar he had in his hand over the balcony and watched it fall. He was getting anxious about current events. The war was escalating here and in Europe. He had only heard rumors of the actions of the Japanese in China, he couldn't be sure, but he had a strong inkling that the innocent people of China were suffering greatly. It was irritating to him that he could nothing to help those in need. Nothing at the moment at least.

It was getting dangerous for his comrades, especially Duo. In the course of the past month, Duo, and eventually Quatre had been forced to stay inside the Inn, for fear of being assaulted on the streets. The widely held consensus was that if one wasn't Japanese or German, they had no business being alive and well. Heero wasn't only worried about Duo and Quatre, he was most concerned about Wu Fei. Being in Kyoto, the heart of Japan, was not a good place for Wu Fei. Any Chinese man within a twenty mile radius could expect a rather abrupt end. Heero had no idea if Wu Fei was still alive even. The last time he saw him was at the cherry blossom party in Hakone, which was months ago. Heero only hoped that Trowa was secure in Wu Fei's safety, though he had no doubt that Wu Fei would be able to take care of himself. Trowa, on the other hand, Heero had no worries for. That man was a true master of disguise. He could be charming, disgusting, or even go unnoticed if he needed to; but it wasn't like either of them to be late.

Heero looked to the watch on his wrist, Trowa and Wu Fei still were not present. They were supposed to have come an hour ago. He was becoming restless, which wasn't like him at all.

"Heero" called Duo from inside. His voice was calm, but Heero could sense the urgent undertone.

He sprang up from the balcony and strode powerfully into the main room. Both Quatre and Duo were standing, bodies facing the door. Heero swiftly reached to the back of his trousers and pulled out his revolver. Pulling back the cocking mechanism as quietly as he could, he walked up beside the door. Seconds later, someone knocked.

"Who is it?" he said sternly, rather than asking.

"Me" said a quiet, reserved voice.

Heero looked back to the other two men in the room and nodded before sliding the door open. He turned back to the door and was face to face with Trowa, Wu Fei, and… the glaring white face of Catherine.

"What is she doing here?" Heero asked, not insultingly, but somewhat angry.

"This concerns her too" Trowa said simply as he breezed past Heero and walked into the main room. The curtails of his military uniform swayed gracefully as he passed. He was greeted enthusiastically by Duo and Quatre.

"This is ridiculous!" Catherine hissed. She pushed her way past Heero into the room, rather than sidestepping him like Trowa had. Her dangling hair ornaments barely missed Heero's face as she bowled past him, "Secret meetings in the middle of the day?"

"Please, you insisted on coming" Wu Fei stated lazily, but a bit arrogantly as he also made his way into the room. He was no longer wearing his Chinese military uniform, but that of a normal Japanese man.

"I insisted on having a meeting, but not one in broad daylight! Imagine what rumors would begin if someone saw me entering an inn with two strange men." Catherine retorted. Almost habitually, she began to smooth out the non-existent creases in her kimono. Once Heero had a chance to look at her appearance, he saw that she would be hard to miss in a crowd. Her bright yellow kimono with a pattern of blue and green dragonflies certainly was an eye catcher.

Wu Fei only scoffed at her, brushing off her comment. He sat down cross-legged at the kotatsu that was centered in the room. He almost moved his hand to remove his sword that usually hung on his belt, but he forewent wearing it, because of all the attention it would gather.

"Let's get to the task at hand" Quatre said as they all took a seat. Heero sat next to Wu Fei, Duo and Quatre opposite of them, and Trowa and Catherine to their right. As soon as she kneeled down at the table, Catherine took a black lacquered mirror out from her obi and began to look over her makeup and adjust her hair. She sat for a few moments prodding her hard, wax coated tresses before she noticed that the men around the table were staring at her. She sighed as she slipped the mirror back into her obi.

"Sorry, bad habit" she said and crossed her hands in her lap. Duo and Trowa were the only ones who responded to that, both silently smirking. Wu Fei feigned a cough, signifying his annoyance.

"Right," said Quatre, catching onto Wu Fei's prompt, "As you all know, the political situation in Japan is getting very complicated. It was just a moth ago when we could walk the streets and not get stopped. But now, we can't even set a foot outside without being assaulted."

"Just yesterday I had rocks thrown at me because of my accent," Wu Fei said calmly, though there was a hint of anger to his voice, "I can't go out, even when I look like this. How am I expected to complete this mission, let alone get out of the country?"

"Concerning the mission," Catherine piped, "I would just like to inform you all of the rather horrific job you are doing."

"Excuse me?" Duo exclaimed, put out by Catherine's accusation, "I've been kissing Jappo butts for months just to ensure that this mission goes well! And you say that we're doing a bad job?"

"It seems that you have forgotten the original mission objective," Catherine spat back, glancing mainly towards Heero, "Most of you have!" she said again after they all gave her looks of disapproval.

"This mission was abysmal to begin with," Wu Fei inserted, "That apprentice of yours is either incredibly foolish, or too head strong for her own good."

"Wu Fei…" Quatre began, but Catherine promptly cut him off.

"The entire mission is _about_ her Wu Fei," she said, "It is important that she be headstrong; god knows that rough times are ahead of her."

"Rough times are evident for all of us" chimed Trowa; he had been silent up until now.

Duo began to open his mouth, but snapped it shut immediately as a soft rap sounded on the door. Everyone froze, hoping that their arguing hadn't been loud enough to draw nosy maids. Heero was the first to stand up. Duo also began to rise but Heero put his palm out to stop him, it wouldn't be good for him to show his face.

Once again, Heero's revolver was drawn from his trousers and took his previous position by the door. The room was dead silent, no one spoke. Had someone been notified of their gathering?

"Who is it?" Heero demanded again. He glanced back to the five persons sitting tensely at the table.

"It's Mima, your maid, Yuy-san," came a small, meek sounding voice, "I've come with the sake you requested."

The inhabitants of the room let out a silent, but heavy sigh; they hadn't been found out.

Heero slid the door open a fraction, just enough to shield the rooms inhabitants from Mima's gaze. He looked down to see a tray packed with several vials of sake, accompanied with the cups that went with the set. He frowned at the tray, he didn't order any sake. Mima was smiling, but Heero could tell that she was slightly confused as well.

"Thank you" he said and took the tray from her. She still looked puzzled as she relinquished the tray.

"So much sake for one person," she speculated, "Yuy-san has company?"

"No" Heero lied and began to slide the door shut; but Mima just wouldn't go away.

"If you would like, I can send someone up to serve you Yuy-san" she eagerly offered.

"No" Heero said again and slid the door shut with a loud crack, cutting off Mima's protests. He waited until he could no longer hear her retreating foot steps before he spoke again.

"Jesus Christ," murmured Duo, "That was close."

"Who ordered it?" Heero demanded after walking back to the table, dropping the tray onto the surface rather haphazardly. He remained standing, aiming his deadly glares towards Quatre and Duo.

"What?" Duo said, trying to look as innocent as possible. Heero's gaze did not falter though.

"We didn't order any sake," Duo continued, "You better watch it Heero, someone is watching you…"

Heero almost rolled his eyes in annoyance. He had no idea what Duo meant by that comment, and decided not to follow it up with an equally frustrating note.

"It's not safe for us here anymore" Quatre commented quietly. He sighed heavily as his head slumped foreword to rest in his hands, "It's not safe anywhere. Just twenty years ago was 'The War to End All Wars'; and now we find ourselves unsuccessfully trying to hold onto the peace that was to last forever. Pathetic."

Silence, they were in total silence, contemplating what Quatre had said. 'The War to End All Wars' had only fueled the hatred and determination to start another conflict. The kindness and trust that the opposing sides gave to each other had been broken. The only thing left was the shattered ideal that was peace.

"We're forgetting our purpose," Trowa said, rupturing the silent reflection, "We're not here to stop a war, we're not even supposed to get involved. I know its hard not to, but we have to think about the task at hand."

"Aikyou…" Catherine whispered.

There was silence once again. The mission was simple really; find the girl, return her to her family, castigate the people responsible for her disappearance. Though with the recent developments, the mission was becoming increasingly difficult; even with the resources that Trowa and Catherine supplied them with

Heero, Duo, and Quatre were business men, but they were also what one may call 'resistance fighters'. They never openly made trouble for the governments they opposed; rather, they used their connections and own cunning to wreck havoc on regimes. They had met Trowa and Catherine through an investigation, and learned of their plight.

Trowa and Catherine had been living in Japan for years. They took on the task of breaking down the slave trade that flowed through the country. Trowa became a 'soldier', one way to be close to those in charge. Catherine, on the other hand, became a geisha. She was the insider to one of the most closed societies in the world. It was most helpful, because it gave them a place to start with their search for the girl they were to recover; the geisha world was a common place to children sold into 'slavery'.

Wu Fei had come into the mix when Trowa called on his assistance; Wu Fei was partner to Trowa and Catherine, he was stationed in China. Unlike Trowa and the Japanese government, Wu Fei really was a member of the Chinese military. They were trying to oppose the Japanese invasion when he had come across Trowa, not many years ago. Trowa had been following a group of slave traffickers though China. Since then, the two worked jointly.

But Trowa had exhausted all of his influence when Wu Fei, the man he was assigned to watch, 'disappeared'. Catherine was not at the same point as Trowa, though she was running out of time. Aikyou was under her care, and the _mizuage_ was drawing close.

Catherine pensively fidgeted with her obi. Her fingers methodically massaged the silk fabric as idea's turned in her head. She glanced around the table to the five men and sighed. Duo was also fidgeting, fooling around with a sake cup that he picked off the tray. He was obviously annoyed by something. His face scrunched up into a palette of frustration, anxiousness.

"For crying out loud, why don't we just grab the girl, and get the hell out of here?" he finally exclaimed. Across from him, an irritated Wu Fei sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I know you understand that the situation is much more complicated than that, Duo" he said.

"Yeah, but we can't avoid creating a scene. And we know that Treize wants her, whatever his reasons. Wouldn't it just be better to get to her before he does?"

Wu Fei began to repeat what he had previously said, but Catherine beat him to it. She frowned at Duo, giving him a look that could melt faces.

"Treize isn't stupid. I wouldn't be surprised if he is aware of our plans." She said. Duo sputtered at her comment.

"What? Then that's all the more reason to just grab the girl!"

"No! Treize is not stupid!" Catherine said again, putting more emphasis on her words, "For some reason he is very interested in Aikyou. He could be smuggling her somewhere right now for all we know!"

"What do you mean?" asked Quatre.

"The mistress of Aikyou's okiya, Mrs. Itoo, has close ties with Treize. I'm sure she wouldn't mind to do him a few favors" Catherine implied. Heero, however, shook his head.

"I don't think she would let Treize do something that extreme," he commented, "However, Catherine does have a point, we can't be too hasty, or else everything will fall apart."

Beside Trowa, Catherine shook her head and sighed as she briskly brought up another topic.

"I can't postpone her _mizuage_ any longer," she suddenly said. Five heads shot up at this. Inside of him, Heero could feel his heart rate pick up. _Mizuage…_

The room was caught in silence again. They all knew what the _mizuage_ was, and they all knew which one of them was responsible for Aikyou's. They had hoped that they would have obtained her before things came to this, but it was not so. All eyes looked nervously towards Heero. He understood why they were staring at him, he just wished they wouldn't make it all seem so implacable. He knew what his objective was, he would do what he would have to do.

"I see no reason for you all to be so concerned about it" he said to them. He tried to seem as indifferent to the situation as he could.

"Yeah, but Heero," said Duo. He was hesitated, unsure of how to continue. Trowa filled in for him though.

"Are you sure you want to?" he asked of Heero, "It may not seem like a big deal, but the things it could do to you, and her for that matter…"

"It needs to be done," Catherine interrupted hesitantly, "If Treize gets his hands on Aikyou, then Mrs. Itoo will have no problem offering Treize for her _danna_."

"But he is your _danna_" Quatre said. Catherine huffed in annoyance for being forced to explain this again.

"That doesn't mean anything," she said, "If he is rich enough, he could have all the geisha he wanted to himself!"

Quatre resigned to be still. He was blushing profusely; Duo was sweating, while Wu Fei only stared down at the table intensely. Trowa was looking at Heero, very concerned. No doubt he knew what was flying through Heero's head. Aikyou…_mizuage_…

"Heero, if you don't want to…"he began.

"We had this talk a long while ago," he began, "I am the one in charge of gaining her trust."

Yes, that was it; he was the one in charge of gaining her trust. Out of all the men in the room, he had spoken with her the most, seen her the most, and knew her the best. This was his mission; he could not let emotions get in the way. It didn't matter if he wanted to do it or not. Moreover he did not see Aikyou that way. He did not look at her with those eyes. He did not feel for her. That is what he told himself. This was his mission.

"I'll do what I have to do" he said.

。。。。

Chapter six. Whew! Took a looong time, no? Sorry for the delay, but I'm swamped with school work, finals are coming up, and I need to study! But I hoped you liked this chapter (ulterior motives galore!). Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Hello again! I'm back, although I'm sure you thought that I wasn't going to return... Although I can't make any definite predictions about its completion, I will say that this chapter just about marks the halfway point (I had to split up chapters 7 & 8, 'cause as one, it was just too big. So really, chapters 7 & 8 mark the halfway point). So if you can stay with me on this, then I'm sure that it can be completed (I also respond to prodding, even some hard jabs!)!

Thanks to all who reviewed. Especially to: Wing and JasLine (both of you: thanks for the vote of confidence with my finals!), Skydancer 1, Inda, and A. You guys keep me going! I do all for you! (tears are streaming down her face). Anyway, on with the show!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam with or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden or anything related to either of them (except my plot!).

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 7

。。。。

"Don't say anything to him until I motion for you to do so. Don't look him strait in the eye, and for heaven's sake, don't do anything to make yourself look bad!" Megumi ordered. Relena frowned at the last little comment. Although it was true that she had a habit of getting herself into unfavorable situations, there was no need for Megumi to be so harsh about it.

"Megumi-san," she began, "I have no idea what you are talking about!" Relena said innocently. Of course she was joking, but Megumi, however, was not.

Megumi snorted and looked back at Relena as she led her down a darkened hallway in a Gion teahouse. Her face had a tinge of amusement, but also annoyance on it. There was a time when Megumi wanted to joke, and a time when she did not. At this moment, she certainly didn't seem to be in any sort of joking mood.

"Next you'll say that we should just forget about the whole thing!" she said as she turned her attention back to walking. She laughed cynically at the thought, which elicited a sigh of hopelessness from Relena, "You're not getting out if it Aikyou" she said, finalizing the end of the small argument.

Relena sighed again after Megumi said this. She had been able to plead with Megumi to postpone her _mizuage_ for at least another month. Though now that month had passed; and as Relena welcomed the vibrant colored world of the autumn season, she was also dreading her _mizuage_. In reality, Megumi had been somewhat content with the idea of postponing the event. She said that they had to make sure of each possible patron's stand point before actually presenting them with _okubo_. Of course Megumi wasn't going to go up to each potential patron and ask them outright of what they thought. Instead, Megumi had gone to parties hosted by each man and had what she called 'meaningful conversations'. Relena could only shake her head in amusement and admiration of Megumi.

The two women had just come from a different teahouse than the one they were in now, and Relena still had shivers going up and down her spine. Not an hour ago, she had presented Lord Treize Khushrenada with her _okubo_. At first, he was confused with the contents of the box, but after Megumi lightly reminded him of what it was for, his face lit up with a sort of nervous understanding. Relena would have liked to believe that he was somewhat embarrassed by the okubo, but she couldn't be sure. Lord Khushreanda was a difficult person to read; he never gave too much away. Megumi, however, seemed quite comfortable with everything. She didn't do much more that introduce Lord Khushrenada into the room; most of the talking was left to Relena. Although not much was said, she was still extremely nervous that she would forget what to say. She found the whole situation to be very embarrassing, and she was not looking forward to her next encounter.

Presenting _okubo_ to Lord Khushrenada was one thing, but presenting it to Heero Yuy, was something entirely different. Relena felt awkward around him. She wasn't sure if it was the way he looked at her, the way he talked to her, or both. She hadn't known him for very long, not more than a year in fact, but at some point during the course of their conversations, he had managed to guess things about her, or challenge something that she had said. Most of the time, his assumptions were correct. She was amazed at his ability to see right through her, so to speak. He was an odd person, not too friendly either; but Relena knew better than to take him at face value. There was something, someone there inside of him; and against all better judgment, she wanted to discover and to understand what made him so enigmatic. She desperately wanted to know why he captured her interest so.

There was no denying it, She had become fond of Heero; she was very keen on him in fact. Her thoughts of him had increased from a few times a month, to several times a day. He was such an intimidating but strong person. She admired him, and sometimes thought that she wouldn't mind to have his strength. As time went on, she wanted to _become_ Heero had somehow along the line, that turned into wanting to be _with_ Heero. Whenever she wasn't with him she couldn't help but wonder what he was doing, and hoping that he thought of her too.

She quietly sighed to herself in pity and bliss. She cared for him, deeply. She didn't want to say 'love' yet, she couldn't. The thought of love was intimidating to her, and it would no doubt scare Heero. She couldn't say for sure what he thought. Personally, though, she could feel something there, something between them. Certainly he felt for her as well? He invited her to many parties, and increasingly without Megumi. And now, with her _mizuage_, he was going to be one of her potential patrons. That counted for something, didn't it? There was a precious sentiment flowing between them, and she didn't want to destroy it.

This is why she did not want to present Heero with _okubo_. She knew that he would be embarrassed, if not upset. Giving him _okubo_ would suggest that he was nothing more to her than a wealthy patron, and that she only had uses for his money. That was not the case at all. Heero was important to her, though she was afraid that he would see it as a cruel game. She knew that he was not one for games of that nature.

Her steps slowed as the thoughts turned over in her head. What, oh what was she to do? There was a dreadful wrenching feeling in her gut, trying to pull her back to the teahouse entrance. It was trying to stop her from going on with this. Relena's steps slowed even more; and when Megumi realized that Relena had come to a complete stop, she turned around to face her younger sister; and she was very agitated.

"Aikyou, what are you doing?" Megumi whispered to her. She didn't quite hiss at her, but the tone of irritation was there. Relena's head snapped up at the sound of Megumi's voice. She stared blankly at the woman in front of her, racking her brain for something so say post-reverie.

"I-I was just thinking" she said. Her thoughts had carried her away to some far off place, far away from Megumi and the teahouse. She was still trying to regain her bearings. Megumi sniffed up at Relena's blunt admission and shook her head.

"Come," she said to Relena, walking back to her, Megumi lightly took her arm and began to lead her down the hallway again, "You can't have your mind flying away like that now. Wait until after giving to _okubo_ to Yuy-san, hm?" She was smiling benevolently towards Relena, and if she hadn't been so well acquainted with Megumi, she wouldn't have realized the subtle joke she had just made. Relena nodded, smiling back.

Their walk wasn't very long, they found themselves standing outside a tatami room just a few moments later. Megumi's joke had lifted Relena's mood just a bit, but nervous trembles crept back into her heart as she grasped the idea that there was only minutes separating the time until she would be face to face with Heero. Her heart began to pound in her chest, and threatened to burst right out. This was too much, it was much too much. She was offering herself up on a platter a person that didn't deserve this kind of treatment; he deserved so much more from her. She turned back to Megumi, but when she tried to speak, she found that her voice cracked with anxiety.

"Megumi-san…" she began, but she couldn't find the words to continue. Megumi looked at her, concerned. Relena already knew Megumi was going to refuse her appeal, though she had to verbalize some things to Heero. She had to let Heero know her true intentions in all of this. She wasn't going to let him think her a vindictive person, "Megumi-san, I would prefer it if you didn't come in with me," she said. Megumi opened her mouth in protest, but Relena quickly spoke again, "I would feel much more…at ease, if I did this alone" she said slowly.

Megumi didn't say anything, but only watched her with a look of apprehension on her face. Relena assumed that she didn't like her request, but she had no intention of backing down on this. There was no way she could tell Heero what was truly on her mind if Megumi was in the room with them. Megumi stared at her for a few moments, and then lifted her head, looking down at Relena as if something just made sense to her.

"Ah," she said and nodded. She had begun to gaze upon Relena with a new light in her eyes; surely she couldn't know what Relena was thinking? "Very well," Megumi continued, "I'm sure you will do fine. I'll be downstairs if you need me," she said as she handed Relena the box of _okubo_, "Good night Aikyou." She quietly uttered, and left.

Relena stood for a few seconds, astonished at how easy it was to steer Megumi away from the situation. And now, she had to look to the task at hand.

"_Okubo_" she said, almost spitting the word out.

She unceremoniously reached over and slid the door open. She was greeted by a dark, empty tatami room. Heero was either not at the teahouse yet, or downstairs at some party; so she walked in and made herself as comfortable as she could. At the back of the wall, the wooden shutters that usually covered the windows were propped open. It was dreadfully hot outside and inside. In the middle of the room, a small table was set down. Relena situated herself at the side adjacent to the door, leaving the side facing the window open; incase Heero needed something to look at during the awkward moments, there was the window. In truth, Relena was trying to make things as easy as possible.

She tried to slow her breathing by thinking of other things, or telling herself that this was no big ordeal. The more she pushed the thoughts away, the stronger they became. Relena sighed in anticipation. Where in the world was he?

。。。。

Catherine swiftly walked down the brightened hallway. What a wonder electricity was. Though it was rare to have electric power in Japan, this teahouse was one of the more upscale ones, and could afford such things.

Electricity wasn't the only thing on her mind, there was a growing problem. Aikyou, lord what a problem. She was a girl of great interest to everyone around her. Catherine couldn't be sure of who knew Aikyou's true identity, but she was sure that Aikyou had no idea herself.

She was indeed a very head strong girl. She risked her reputation just pitching her 'sad story' to her teachers at the school. She put herself in embarrassing situations, and she didn't even seem to care! If Trowa and the others only knew how hard it was to keep an eye on Aikyou, then they wouldn't brush off Catherine's services so lightly.

She grumbled; she was very irritated, and very anxious. Aikyou had gone so far as to request that Catherine remove herself from the tatami room. Aikyou's need to be honest had overtaken her. She thought she was so clever; if her older sister doesn't hear anything, then she won't have a clue to what is going on. Catherine was not stupid though; she understood perfectly why Aikyou had asked her to leave her be. Now they had a problem.

Catherine continued briskly down the hallway, stopping at a seemingly random tatami room. She knocked quietly, announcing her presence. A solemn voice came back through the thin paper door. Catherine took that as permission to enter as she slid the door to her right, entered, and slid the door shut.

"I thought a maid was supposed to come" said Heero as Catherine sat opposite of him. He was sitting on a small pillow, legs crossed. There were no signs of irritation, worry, or weariness as he watched her with an empty face.

"She has requested me not to be present" Catherine said, disdain dripping from her voice. Heero frowned for a second, before he realized who she was talking about.

"She-oh" he said, then frowned again, "Why would she ask for that?"

Catherine sighed as she looked at him with a schooling stare, "She wanted to speak to you, alone" she said, putting emphasis on the word 'alone'.

Heero seemingly frowned in confusion for the third time. Catherine huffed at this. If he was truly so clueless about this, then things were going to become more complicated than they already were.

"She is taking this whole _mizuage_ thing much to seriously" Catherine said, but regretted the statement as soon as it left her mouth. She had forgotten, her colleague opposite of her was an vital part in this _mizuage_. "I-I'm sorry" she said seconds later. If he felt anything at her comment, Heero was hiding it well. She saw no indications of offence on his face.

He shook his head, "Forget it," he simply said, "Tell me what you mean by 'taking it too seriously'" He was sitting up strait now, intent on hearing Catherine's explanation.

"Heero" Catherine began, but found she didn't know how to continue. She ended up stuttering through her sentences, "Heero, I'm-I fear that she is romantically involved."

Heero stared at her, astonished.

"You mean, me?" he said. Although his words didn't make sense, Catherine understood him perfectly. She sighed irritably.

"Yes you. She is confusing her feelings with the purpose of the _mizuage_." Catherine uneasily shook her head, "I would rather not go through with this, and adhere to Duo's advice. Take her and go."

Heero sat silently, perhaps he was reflecting on her comment, she hoped to God that he wasn't.

She sighed dejectedly, "I can't believe her! I have said countless times not to mix feelings with anything concerning her career, but I see that she is too sentimental." She sighed again, but with more force, and more anger, "Damn it all."

Silence passed, all the while Catherine wished that Heero would say something, anything; just one word to pierce the calm.

"Don't worry," Heero said as he stood up and headed for the door. Catherine watched him pass with an uneasy feeling growing in her stomach. She brought her hand up to catch him as he passed her, but he was moving much too swiftly, for her to grab him.

"W-What are you going to do?" she asked. She was expecting an answer, but Heero didn't offer one. Catherine got to her feet as quickly as she could and latched onto Heero's arm, "What are you going to do?" she repeated.

He only glanced back at her, "What I have to do" he said and tried to pull away from her; though Catherine would not have him leave the room without giving her an answer.

"Heero!" she said as she tightened her grip, "Don't do anything to jeopardize our objective!"

"There are some risks that must be taken" he said and wrenched his arm free of her hold.

Catherine frowned in anger. He was always so secretive; he never told anyone what he was planning, even if he was working with them. It was most frusturating, and her knew that she hated this behavior. "You didn't answer my question, what are you going to do?"

He did not answer her this time, and simply walked out of the room. He didn't even bother to close the door. Catherine was left with an angry cloud hanging over her head. He hand dropped to her side as she balled it into a fist. They were in one hell of a corner.

。。。。

"Tell me again why I am here?" asked Noin, who sitting next to a small tea set, was in Mother's, or rather Une's, room of the Itoo okiya. Une was opposite of her, quietly counting numbers on her abacus and writing them in her accounting books. That was really the extent of what Une did all day, and sometimes all night. Mostly she was either keeping her books, or on the phone with, well, that malicious man. That man was the root of her problems, and all Une did everyday was help him to make life more difficult for Noin and Zechs. Une was the keeper of Noin's freedom, and Trieze was the captor.

Une continued sliding the little black beads across her instrument. Not once did she stop to consider Noin.

"Because we are quite concerned about your commitment to our little outfit," she began, "Ever since Lord Khushrenada's party, you've seemed…less enthusiastic about the whole thing. I hope you aren't going back on the deal we had?"

Noin closed her eyes and frowned. Yes, yes she was betraying them. She wasn't going to be a part of their inhumane operation. They had her acting as she never wanted to, preying on poor, stupid girls, and forsaking every bit of love, honor, and truth that she had in her body. She didn't want any part in it anymore.

"No, of course not" she replied, and this was all that she said. She didn't want to elaborate and seem like she was lying; and she didn't want to be too short with her answer and sound sarcastic.

Une sighed as she slid another bead across. It ticked loudly on the wooden frame and echoed into Noin's ears.

"Really Noin, how obtuse do you think I am?" Une said, her eyes still glued to the abacus and accounting book. "You've stopped going after Aikyou, You don't engage Kazue in any parties, and Kayoko tells me that you have been meeting with Megumi's dresser. What am I to think of all this?"

"What is wrong about meeting with Zechs? I'm only concerned about him" asked Noin. She inwardly seethed; she was loosing control of the conversation, and fast. From the moment Une summoned her, she knew that her dominating the conversation was essential if she planned to keepher plans secret. Certainly Une didn't know of her and Zechs's plans to escape? Unless…unless…damn that Kayoko, or Dorothy, she should say.

Une finally looked up from her work and glared at Noin over her glasses.

"When you came to us, both of you were starving and Zechs was almost dead. We didn't ask how you came to be that way, we didn't assume or make any judgments. You needed help and we gave it to you in return for your services on a single task," she said, and Noin was crumbling under her stare, "Now you're backing out on the deal? No, no, no. That is _not_ how I do business."

Noin frowned, she had to regain control. Une had her in a lethal vice. "If I had known what I'd be doing, I would have never agreed" she spat.

"You should have thought about that beforehand," Une replied, "You both would have died if you didn't accept."

Noin stayed silent at this. It was true that when she met Zechs, he was beaten beyond recognition, for whatever mysterious reason. She took it upon herself to help him, though she found that she was of no help, when she could hardly support herself. Of course, Treize and Une swooped in for the rescue, at a 'small price'; she had taken it upon herself to save her and her companion. But instead of doing that, she walked them right into a deadly trap.

Une went back to her work when she saw Noin's retreat. "Besides, you are needed now more than ever."

Noin looked to Une with a new interest in what the woman was saying.

"The girl's parents have just arrived in Tokyo. They are bargaining with officials there to retrieve their daughter. Missing persons notices will be popping up in no time, so that means we must move quickly. After Lord Khushrenada successfully completes the _mizuage_ ritual, he will ask to become Aikyou's _danna_, which I will grant him. Then you will go to a government official and report that you have found the girl. Lord Khushrenada will deliver one of the girls to the parents, and that is when you and Zechs move in for the kill."

"I will not do this," Noin said. She marveled at the elaborate plan, but stood her ground.

"Do you want the same fate as Auntie? Or Miss Sally Po I should say," Une retorted, "She was quite bold to place herself so close to the enemy, but her brash attitude proved to be her undoing."

Noin glared at her, anger boiling within her, Sally, they didn't…

"What did you do to her?" she nervously asked. Une only smiled.

"A clever woman, though why she believed that she could feed information to others while living under my roof, is beyond me."

"What did you do to her?" Noin repeated. The grin on Une's face grew even larger.

"Damn fool. Though I applaud her stamina, she didn't give one name before she died."

"What?" exclaimed Noin. She was lying, she had to be. Sally would never have let herself get caught, not the Sally that she knew. They killed her! They killed Sally, Noin's only hope for a way out. It was Sally who had the connections; Sally who could get Relena and Kazue to a safe place. She had no idea what to do now. The absolute nerve of Une...Noin had the great urge to attack her with all she had.

"Although we still don't have the names of the people against us, we can still go forward with out plan. Tomorrow you will-"

"I would rather die than do this!" Noin spat. She had taken quite enough abuse, Sally was the last straw.

Une sneered at her as she absently slid another bead across the abacus. It ticked loudly, again.

"That can be arranged" snapped Une, which broke Noin's last bit of inhibition.

She slapped her hands on the table and wildly looked back at Une. She was sure of the fire in her eyes, and she hoped that it matched the fire in Une's malice.

"I will not kill an innocent girl!" she shouted. Une shot back at her with an equally vulgar voice.

"Then you will die!"

Noin suddenly found that she could control herself no longer as she reached across the gap separating them, and struck Une across the face. Her glasses went soaring off her face, the abacus flew out of her hands and loudly crashed into the tea set, spilling the dark tea all over the crisp, tan tatami mats. Une's head snapped back to Noin, and she just stared in awe. Noin was still wearing her enraged frown, but became more and more afraid for herself as the seconds went by.

Une panted loudly as she brought her hand to her red cheek, which was no doubt stinging. At first,Noin thought thatUne was about to explode, but then she realized, the woman...was crying! Yes! Crying! Noin stared in disbeliefat Une's sudden show of weakness.

"Why…" she choked out through the tears, "How could you when I did nothing?"

Noin gaped in awe. Just moments ago Une was threatening her life, now she was accusing her of unjust violence. Utterly implausible.

Une drew her hand from her face and began to search around for her glasses. She continued to mumble things about how her face hurt and that she couldn't see anything. Once she had her glasses in hand, she placed them back on her face as quickly as she could. Slowly, she built herself up to her full stature, and fixed a very angry glower at Noin.

"You…" began Une; it was as if everything had snapped back to normal, she seemed too livid to form any rational sentence. "When Lord Khushrenada hears of this, you will…" she said, but Noin didn't give her a chance to finish. She abruptly stood up and ran to the door. Une's voice could be heard screaming after her.

"Walk out that door, and you'll only be making things harder for yourself and Zechs!" she yelled, but Noin continued to run down the stairs as Une continued, "I will find you!"

She tried to block the voice from her head as she reached to front door. She forgot about money, food, her clothes, she only had one thought on her mind, and that was to get out of the city, and fast. As she wrenched the door open, she almost bowled over Kazue, who was just coming back from a series of parties; she yelped in surprise.

"Kayumi-san," Kazue said, trying to calm herself from shock, "You scared me!"

As Noin looked at her younger sister, she remembered her conversation with Une. She had to leave the city, but she couldn't leave Kazue in the okiya to fend for herself, but she also couldn't take her with. It would be much too conspicuous to see two geisha outside of Gion together. Noin thought quickly of what she could do for Kazue. She grabbed the chatty girl by the shoulders and shook her until she was listening.

"Kayumi-san, what are you-"

"Shhh! Listen to me!" Noin interrupted, "Kazue, things are not safe here for you anymore, you need to get out of Gion, out of Kyoto!"

Kazue frowned at Noin in puzzlement, "Why, whatever do you mean?" she started to say, but Noin shook her again.

"Listen! In my room, I have money in my pocket book, and snacks stolen from the kitchen in the closet. Wrap them up in a handkerchief and prepare yourself for a long journey."

"What?" exclaimed Kazue. Noin clamped her hand over the girl's mouth to quiet her. It would do her no good if Une knew that she had spoken to Noin.

"Hilde, please listen," she said, "Can you get out of the okiya tomorrow?" she asked her. Kazue nodded. "Good," Noin said, "Leave as soon as you can. Get on a train bound for Tokyo. When you get there-"

"Kayoko, _what_ are you doing?" she heard Une shout from upstairs. Noin frowned; Dorothy must have been listening in on the conversation before. She had better get out. With one last look at Kazue, Noin ran out the door and onto the street.

One though ran through her head, find Zechs, find Zechs. Things were moving so fast now. At the beginning of the week, she was safely inside the okiya, playing the part of a heartless witch; now she was running for her life, and the life of others. She had to find Zechs…

She gasped loudly as someone grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a dark alley.

"Zechs!" she hissed when she saw who it was. Well, at least she didn't have to spend precious time searching for him.

"I followed you home after your last party," he said, "Noin, we have to talk to Une and Khushrenada; we have to convince them to stop this." He urged. Noin shook her head.

"We have to leave. Where is your sister?" she asked hastily.

"Relena…Noin, what did you say?" he asked, warily staring at her. Noin sighed as she closed her eyes.

"It's not so much what was said…"

"Noin, what did you do?" he asked, revising his original question. He grabbed her by both shoulders, to emphasize his question.

"We have to tell her Zechs" she said solemnly after looking up at him. She knew that she had dashed away any hopes of a covert liberation of Relena from the Itoo okiya.

He frowned at her. She couldn't tell if he was angry with her or worried about Relena; whichever it was, they were running on Khushrenada's clock, and time was of the essence. Zechs turned away and looked blankly out on the dark, empty street.

"Shit."

。。。。

Some people were asking for it, so here it is!

Glossary

_Mizuage_-an ancient tradition of the geisha. Wealthy patrons of apprentice geisha will place bets of money on the geisha in hopes to win the prize of her virginity. The winning patron will spend one night with the geisha; they will basically have sex, but only once. The _mizuage_ patron has no other influence on the geisha's life anytime after. This ritual was outlawed by the Japanese government in the 1950's.

_Okubo_- _okubo_ is a sweet bun with a red indentation in the middle of it. An apprentice geisha gives _okubo_ to her possible _mizuage_ patrons, signifying that she would like for them to bid money on her _mizuage_.

_Danna_- A _danna_ is a wealthy man who is a benefactor to a geisha. He pays for everything from her lessons, to gifts that he buys for her. In addition to this, he has sole 'usage' of the geisha. This means he is entitled to privileges that other men are not, sex.


	8. chapter 8

Hello all. Here is the second part to the chapter 7/8 monstrosity, but if you didn't read in the chap. 7 pre-fic info, I'm splitting up what was originally chap. 7. So here is chap. 8!

Thanks to those who reviewed on chapter 7: Angel, K (Kia?), and Heaven's Girl. I would like to especially thank: Inda, Iryl, A, K, and Kia. You guys are my most faithful readers! Thanks so much!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam with or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden or anything related to either of them (except my plot!).

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 8

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"Kayoko, _what_ are you doing?" yelled an angry Une at Dorothy. She had told herself that it was a dangerous thing to listen in on the woman's conversations, but she was just itching to know why there had been no developments with her _mizuage_. Something was cooking as well, and she hated being left out.

"Why are you stalling my _mizuage_?" she spat back. Une swirled around and marched back into her room.

"Don't be ridiculous. There just haven't been any bidders" she said.

"Your insulting me," Dorothy said, "You've been blocking anyone who wants to bid, for some reason you have; and I want to know why" she said. She had the urge to stomp her foot like some petulant child, but fought it. If Une was going to take her seriously, she would have to make the best effort to be at the same level as the woman; which really, wasn't too hard, for her at least.

Une proceeded to slide the door to her room shut behind her, about to leave a livid Dorothy in the hallway, but Dorothy shoved her arm through, stopping the door before it could close all the way.

"You told me that Lord Khushrenada would be my _mizuage_ patron! You said that if I trailed Aikyou you would let me go free!" she yelled, not caring who heard her.

"Quiet!" hissed Une, "You haven't told me anything that is worth my time. I might as well send you to a brothel across the _Shirakawa_. That would help repay your debt to Lord Khushrenada. You are his cousin; therefore he lent you money when you asked for it, now he wants repayment."

"I suppose he didn't think that I could just pay the money I owed!" Dorothy snapped. Une only scoffed.

"Kayoko, you can't afford it. Besides, Lord Khushrenada sees you being much more useful in serving him; though _I_ have yet to see how useful you are."

Dorothy's eyes narrowed at the comment. A whore house! Usefulness? It was more like slave labor. What ludicrous, the nerve that woman had. She was willing to sacrifice anything just to make Khushrenada happy. How ridiculous of her to suggest such a thing.

To their left, Kazue came climbing up the stairs, seemingly just catching her breath. At first glance, one would have thought that she was tired from scaling the staircase, but a look of vague surprise shone on her face. She was staring at Une and Dorothy, confused.

"What is wrong with you?" Dorothy asked her. Kazue was looking at them with some sort of dumb stare. Did she hear what Dorothy was complaining about?

"I ran into Kayumi-san at the front door. She was in an awful rush, scared me to death!" Kazue answered, "I wonder where she was going?"

Dorothy sneered at Une, relishing the idea that was simmering in her head. If they were going to cause her so much trouble, then why shouldn't she return the favor? 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you' as they say.

"Mother ran her out of the okiya" she replied simply. The look on Kazue's face was exactly what she was hoping for.

Kazue glanced back and forth from Dorothy to Une. There was astonishment, anger, and fear in her eyes.

"What?" she exclaimed, "Why? Mother, how could you?" She pushed past Dorothy and stood right in front of Une. "She is my older sister! How can you expect me to make a proper career if I have no one to guide me?"

"Silence!" yelled Une, "Kayumi left on her own accord, though I would have thrown her out anyway. She has done a very poor job with your career, and Kayoko's as well. She was an insult to me, and I will not have that in this okiya!"

But Kazue would have none of it. She slipped past Une and ran into her room. The door slid shut loudly behind her. Dorothy only looked to Une and smiled.

"She shouldn't be so upset! You're only doing what is best for us, aren't you Mother?"

Une frowned at her before leaving Dorothy alone in the hallway. No matter, she thought. Une had made the mistake of thinking that she was someone that could be toyed with. Well, she was no toy, and she wasn't going to be played with.

She followed Kazue into the room that she shared with her. Sliding the door back slightly, she could just make out Kazue sitting in the middle of the room, facing the window. The moonlight fell through the window and illuminated a small patch of the tatami mats. Kazue sat just outside the light. Dorothy quietly sat down beside her.

"Kazue," she said, "Don't be so upset. Kayumi was a bad older sister; you can't blame Mother for throwing her out. It's what I would have done."

Kazue shook her head. She wasn't crying, or anywhere near it; she was clearly disturbed though. A deep sigh escaped her lips as she tore her eyes away from the window. Folding her hands in her lap, she inhaled and sighed again.

"So she was. But she was far kinder to me than anyone else. She wasn't overtly cruel; she didn't betray me," Kazue said, "Deep inside, she was a good person; a good person forced to wear a mask."

Dorothy looked up at the last comment. 'Forced to wear a mask'? She began to fear that Kazue knew the real reason that Mother had thrown out Kayumi.

"She wore a mask? Whatever do you mean by that?" she asked.

"She wore a mask, like all geisha do. I suppose it proved too much for her" Kazue said. Her eyes focused on the window again; signifying that she didn't want to talk anymore. Though Dorothy continued to prod. She wanted to see how much Kazue knew.

"Is that what you think of it?" she asked her. Kazue sighed once more, in annoyance. She turned her head to Dorothy and frowned.

"What else am I to think?" she snapped, "What am I going to do now Kayoko? Auntie has left; Kayumi has left; now all that is left of this place is one angry woman and three stupid girls."

Dorothy scoffed at Kazue's unkind comment. She almost had to laugh. She was in fact, glad that Noin had left. That woman was causing more trouble than she was worth. What with all her ulterior motives, secret conversations, and pretend allegiances.

Really, Dorothy herself had nothing to gain in any outcome of the whole situation. It was very amusing to watch Une and Lord Khushrenada play with Megumi and her unknown 'entourage' as if they were toys. And it was so comical to watch as Aikyou was pulled in different directions by everyone around her. No one ever stopped to think and wonder if they were even chasing the right……and then it came, the most brilliant idea that had come to her so far. Aikyou had managed to throw her off track with her 'Duo Maxwell is my _mizuage_ patron'. Oh yes, quite clever; so why not use it against her?

She smiled maliciously as she mulled over the idea in her head. A toy indeed; she was going to show everyone just how she played with her toys.

"Three stupid girls?" she began, "I was under the impression that there was only one."

"Oh?" mused Kazue, "And who might that be?'

Dorothy had to fight back the urge to laugh. Kazue truly was naïve. She should have kept a closer eye on her, watched who she watched. Dorothy thought back to several parties, and she realized how much the girl's eyes hung all over the American. It was too perfect. Kazue's hidden affections for Maxwell, and Aikyou pretending that he was her _mizuage_ patron.

"Why, you of course!" Dorothy said. Kazue gasped angrily at her for the crude exposure.

"How dare you!" she began, but Dorothy cut her off to embellish the remark.

"I can't help but tell the truth. Everyone in this okiya knows how you feel about a certain foreigner," She said. Kazue's cheeks instantly flushed red. "Everyone including Aikyou."

Kazue frowned at her, apparently not grasping what Dorothy was hinting at.

"What are you talking about?" she said exasperatedly.

"Don't you see?" Dorothy continued, "Aikyou is playing you for a fool!"

"A fool? Kayoko, stop being so stupid!"

"Quite the contrary. Come now Kazue, you cannot be so dense when it comes to these things!"

Kazue now was clearly frustrated with Dorothy, and Dorothy loved it. The trap was set, and all Kazue had to do was walk right into it.

"If you've got something to say Kayoko, then spit it out! Otherwise, I'm just wasting time!" she blurted.

"All right," Dorothy said, "I have heard from a most reliable source, that Aikyou intends to make Duo Maxwell her _mizuage_ patron, and possibly even her _danna_!"

Kazue sat and stared, shocked. Dorothy tried to look serious, but it was so…_hard_. After initial shock wore off, Kazue glared at Dorothy with a sort of amused cynical look. She began to shake her head.

"Perhaps you are the stupid one, if you expect me to believe _that_!" she said and began to giggle nervously. Dorothy giggled as well, grinning knowingly at Kazue.

Eventually Kazue's nervous laugh died, and the atmosphere became serious once again. She leaned in closer to Dorothy and latched onto her arm.

"Surely, you lie!" she said, gripping her arm even harder.

Dorothy screwed up her face in pain and wrenched herself away from Kazue. Well, at least she knew now that a seed of doubt in the girl would bloom with no more than a drop of water.

"I do not lie," Dorothy said as she rubbed the sore spot on her arm. "Aikyou means to keep you down by doing this. You saw how Maxwell reacted to her when she came to that party so many months ago; if she gets his bid for _mizuage_, just think how much more she could do! She beat you down before, what is to prevent her from doing it again?"

Kazue shook her head earnestly.

"But, I would think that she is after Yuy; she and Megumi are always with him!"

"Yes, but isn't Maxwell always with Yuy too?" Dorothy retorted. Kazue came right back with another point.

"But so is the Arab, Winner is his name, and Chang; even Barton shows up around him. Though I haven't seen many of them for months, I suppose with the political situation…" said Kazue. Dorothy listened to her trail off in her own thoughts, letting her turn the idea of Aikyou with Maxwell over in her head. But Dorothy was thinking of something else.

Kazue said that Maxwell, Winner, Barton, and Chang all hang around Heero Yuy, not to mention Megumi and Aikyou's frequent visits to where ever he happens to be. How peculiar that they all knew each other. And why would Megumi choose Yuy as such a worthy _mizuage_ patron? One would suppose that she was good friends with him, but then again, neither of them had been in Gion longer than two years…most peculiar indeed.

"What will I do now?" Kazue said. Snap! The trap had been sprung, and Kazue was now victim to it. "If she succeeds, I'll have no place anywhere!" she continued.

"Come now! You can't think like that! If you move to win, then you will!" Dorothy encouraged. She was finding this increasingly amusing, and hopefully, revealing.

"I should probably just go to Tokyo like Kayumi said. Though she never told me where to go once I got there…" Kazue mused. Dorothy snapped to attention at this.

"What? Kayumi told you to go to Tokyo?" she asked. Kazue nodded.

"She instructed for me to take some of her money and food that was stowed away in her room, buy a train ticket, and go to Tokyo! She didn't tell me what to do once I got there though, just said that I had to leave the okiya. Imagine that!" she said, as if she was laughing off the whole thing.

"Oh, really?" Dorothy began, just hoping that Kazue would let something slip…

"Yes," she continued, "I had no idea what she was on about. The way she was acting, made it sound as if it were a life or death situation."

"Yes, well," Dorothy said, rising to her feet. This was _most_ interesting. "I'll leave you to your thoughts."

At that, she left the room before Kazue could ask her anymore questions. It was best to leave the girl to her own devices.

After sliding the door shut, Dorothy padded across the hallway to Une's room. If her inklings were correct, then Une would certainly want to know this new development; and it would also put Dorothy in her good graces again. She was less likely to throw her in some brothel when she was in a good mood.

She slid the door open as quietly as she could, though she had no intention of staying unnoticed. She could tell just by Une's posture that she had been attentive to the surroundings as soon as Dorothy opened the door. She was sitting again, counting off units of money on her abacus. Dorothy walked around Une and promptly sat opposite of her. Une's eyes came to rest on Dorothy when she came into view; then she looked back to her abacus.

The little wooden beads continued to tick loudly as the silence passed. Dorothy didn't want to speak too quickly; she didn't want to risk provoking the woman across from her. Though, there was nothing wrong with annoying Une a bit. It was just like fishing in a stream. Attach a delicious treat on the end of the line, and it was only a matter of minutes until a fish bit.

Finally Une looked up from her work and eyed Dorothy. Although she didn't put her work down, her curiosity was evident.

"What do you want?" she said tersely. Not only was she curious, but also annoyed.

"To remind you how valuable I am" Dorothy said, equally terse. Une sighed, she was giving in.

"Tell me" she said. Dorothy happily obliged.

"I was just chatting with dear Kazue, and she told me some interesting things" Dorothy said.

"Oh?" said Une, sliding and clicking the little abacus beads, "What did she say?"

Dorothy smiled before she continued, "She told me that as Kayumi was leaving, she instructed Kazue to run away to Tokyo."

"She what?" exclaimed Une as she slammed the abacus down with a loud snap. "Damn that woman…"

"Kazue seemed rather beat after she learned that Kayumi had been thrown out. I think that she is actually considering her orders. Just think Mother, this could all have been prevented if Kayumi wasn't run out of the okiya!" Dorothy mocked.

Une glared at her. "Shut up" she snapped, "This is not good, and you're making jokes of it!"

Dorothy scoffed, but didn't reply. She didn't mind that Une was chastising her; she had gotten the desired effect of the news.

"I have a theory Mother," she began, "Kayumi will go to Marquise, and Marquise will go to his employer to inform her of this. Which means-"

"Megumi," Une finished. She did not look pleased.

This was indeed bad news. If Megumi learned of what they were doing, then everything would be thrown, and worse, they would all be considered as failures and traitors; and be subject to the worst treatment from the Third Reich.

"Do you know where Megumi is?" Une asked her.

Dorothy nodded.

"I can find out quick enough."

"Have Eriko send her a message: that Lord Khushrenada wishes to meet with her. Kazue can never know why Kayumi left!"

"And what about dear Aikyou?" Dorothy asked. She was curious to see what Une had in store for her.

"I'm sure she will be wherever Megumi is" Une replied.

Dorothy smiled and asked another question, just to push the woman's buttons a little more.

"I forget. It is so hard to keep things strait," she said, "Which one are we after?"

Une glared at her, though she didn't answer. She knew that Dorothy was just trying to get a rise out of her. Though Dorothy guessed that Une would appeal to Treize to punish her is some way for her frequent annoyances, she did not fear for herself.

"What are you going to do to Megumi?" Dorothy asked.

"Detain her for now" Une answered. Dorothy stayed sitting, expecting more, but Une looked at her and frowned. "Well, get to it!" she snapped.

Dorothy bowed to excuse herself. She began to smile as she walked out of the room, things were looking up.

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Sorry this took so long. I had some ideas for the next few chapters, which meant that I had to change some things that happened here. I hoped you enjoyed it! Please review and tell me your thoughts, flame or praise, either will get my butt moving on this fic! Besides, how can I improve if you don't tell me what you think?

Anyway, the end is near and I'm still thinking about how I want to do it. Tell me what you want, and maybe I'll be able to fix some lines in for you!

**Glossary**

Shirakawa: A stream that runs through the geisha and/or red light districts in Kyoto. It separates Gion from the Miyagawa-cho (correct me if I am wrong with that name, I think I am) district; a less famous place of geisha. It also has whore houses.


	9. chapter 9

Turns out chapter 8 grew too long as well. Ah, so be it. If you find any spelling or grammar errors, please let me know and I'll fix it as soon a possible. Also, I'm not very good at writing action, so let me know if I need any improvements!

Thanks to EVERYONE for helping to reach 50 reviews! I'm so proud of ya'll! Thanks loyal readers! Especially to: Pureevil1230 (good observation!), A (please tell me if I'm doing your name right!), and Heaven's Girl. Whootness!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam with or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden or anything related to either of them (except my plot!).

White Mask by lmh

Heero swiftly walked out of the room he was sitting in. He knew that Catherine would follow him, but he didn't wait around to listen for her footsteps.

So, Aikyou was interested in him; romantically. Or was she? Whatever Catherine got from it, she was convinced that Aikyou was really fond of him. As to what Heero thought, he couldn't be sure. He felt reservations at being her _mizuage_ patron. He knew that in order for the mission to go smoothly, little personal feelings could interject. At first, he didn't think that would be such an issue, though as time wore on, he saw Aikyou more and more, and now everything was muddled.

She was an intelligent girl, naive, but intelligent. She had the uncanny ability to read people, and he was no exception. In actuality, she was a clone of Catherine, or Megumi, whichever name she preferred to use. Although there were rebellious qualities in her, Aikyou did mostly what Catherine told her to do. She was overtly polite to her patrons. If there was an arranged party, she even went as far as to study her patrons and the patrons' background before meeting them. Heero could tell that she did so the moment he met her. She knew what not to say, and surprisingly to him, she knew that he preferred being around geisha who said nothing more than a few words.

It was all a great ruse though; his supposed role, and Aikyou's role as well, even if she did not know it.

Catherine had finally caught up to him once he reached the top landing on the second floor staircase. He turned to watch her scurry up the stairs. She was eager to block his path; it was quite evident in her actions. Once she got to the landing, she latched onto his arm again.

"I must caution you," she said between breaths, "She is stuck in the middle of an international ordeal, and she does not know it! Please, stay calm, don't upset her!"

Heero almost had to roll his eyes at Catherine's warning.

"Some amount of shock cannot be avoided," he said. He paused and turned back to her. "I hope you realize that some of this could have been prevented" he said.

Catherine refused to look at him. She deliberately turned away, focusing her attention on whatever her eyes seemed to fall on. Heero would have none of it though. Catherine was putting herself out on a limb for them all. Out of all involved in the mission, she was the hardest worker; the one with the most at stake. Heero admired her for this, but it was also the reason for one of his many anxieties. He had to voice this.

"What do you mean" she said quietly, when he knew that she had no question about his meaning.

"Would we have to be here if you didn't introduce her to Treize?" he asked. Catherine frowned and looked up at his question.

"He insisted on it," she said in her defense, "I am in no position to contradict him."

"Yes, I know; but," Heero began, cautious of how to say his next thought, "Were you wise in achieving him as a _danna_?"

Catherine was silent. Heero took this a cue to continue.

"Catherine, if you upset or anger him in anyway, I am sure he will reprimand you by any means possible."

Still, Catherine remained silent. She looked down at her hands which were now religiously smoothing out non-existent creases in her kimono; a nervous habit of hers. Once again, Heero continued when she would not offer anything to say.

"I say this only as-," he began, wholly unsure of how to express his worry on the subject. He truly did not want to see anything happen to any of his colleagues; no, friends. "I-I'm afraid that you may have made the wrong choice, for yoursel-" he said, but Catherine finally decided to speak.

"I know, and I thank you," she said, "But like you, I made a decision to do this, for the sake of the mission. I'll do what I have to do" she said, quoting him with a sad little smile.

And at that, she grabbed hold of the door and slid it open.

"I hope you know what you are doing" she muttered as she slid the door open.

Aikyou was inside, sitting at a small table. She seemed to be deep in thought, but perked up immediately as Heero and Catherine walked in. She moved to face them and bowed.

"It is good to see you again Yuy-san!" she said, "I trust you are well?"

Instead of answering, Heero walked around the table, and sat with his back to the window, facing the door. Aikyou followed his movements with nervous eyes.

"Oh, Yuy-san, wouldn't you like to sit here? So you can gaze out the window?" she asked quickly, motioning to the seat where Catherine was now settling in.

Instead of waiting for an answer, Aikyou finally realized that Catherine was present, and looked at her, confused.

"Megumi-san" she began, but Catherine gave her a look, and Aikyou said no more.

Neither Heero nor Catherine said anything. He didn't really know where to begin. This was such a…a…delicate topic, and although Catherine had warned him, he was in fact, afraid of throwing Aikyou into a paralyzing shock. He didn't want to cause her any pain, physically, mentally, or emotionally. Contrary to popular belief he did care for her well being; it was just difficult for him show concern, in matters such as…_personal feelings._

Aikyou was the first to speak. She took up the delicate wood box of what Heero assumed was _okubo_, and set it on the table.

"Yuy-san, in light of your kind patronage, I would like to present you with _okubo_" she said and pushed the box towards him.

Without breaking his sight of Aikyou, Heero reached for the box and unceremoniously tossed it aside. It landed on the tatami mats with a dull thud. Gasping, Aikyou looked somewhat scandalized, Heero observed. She opened her mouth, and then closed it, as if resisting the urge to scold him.

"I-I don't understand-" she began, though Catherine spoke up before she could form any other words.

"Aikyou, there is something that you must know, before we go any further; here and with your career as a geisha." Catherine said.

Aikyou frowned, "What are you talking about? Is this something to do with Kayoko?"

"No, nothing like that," Catherine answered, though she was hesitant to continue, "You see Aikyou-"

"Relena" Heero interrupted. Since they were going to reveal all, he saw no point in keeping up formalities. Relena was the girl's name, that is what they would call her. The now proclaimed Relena snapped her vision to Heero. Her confusion was more prominent than ever.

"How do you know my name?" she asked, her voice near a whisper.

"There are many things that he knows," Catherine said, "But Aikyou…Relena, you must hear us out"

"Many things?" Relena burst, her voice rising, "What else does he know about me?"

Catherine began to make more elusive comments, trying to calm Relena down. Heero could see that she was becoming excited at the thought of him knowing private things about her. He couldn't scoff at her for feeling that, he probably would feel that as well.

"Tell me why he knows my name," Relena said sternly, "There are other things as well, isn't there? Megumi!" she exclaimed as she grabbed Catherine's arm.

"Her name is Catherine" Heero said. Relena turned to him again. Words failed her.

A uncomfortable silence followed as Relena sat dumbstruck. Heero didn't want to say anything, lest Catherine would think his words wrong, incurring her irritated wrath.

Though Catherine couldn't look her in the eye, she finally began to spit out what they were trying to say.

"We are all part of a very intricate web, Relena. This story goes back, back before most of us here were born" she began.

She ended the sentence on a nervous laugh, though there was no doubt in Heero's mind that she was holding back, trying to deliver the blow as lightly as she could. Well, he really didn't have time for this. For all he knew, the opposition could be moving as they sat here, tip-toeing around the subject. He wondered why he hadn't done this sooner. Catherine was stalling; and frankly, he was getting annoyed.

"You are the target of an elite group of German military officers" Heero stated. Catherine let out an angry sigh as he interrupted her. Relena, now more confused than ever, stared at him, mouth agape and her eyes wide.

"What? German military?" Relena exclaimed as she continued to stare at Heero. She too let out a nervous laugh. He could feel the atmosphere changing rapidly; along with Relena's opinions of him.

"You're insane!" she spat. Catherine flinched as though Relena had really spat in her face. "What does the German military have to do with me? I'm just a peasant farm girl dressed in fancy clothing! I was born in a rural Japanese village!" she argued.

"No, you weren't" Heero argued back, "You were born in Germany to German parents."

Relena shook her head as she looked back at him, half glaring, half in shock.

"I was born here, in this country!" she repeated, but Heero was only prompted to repeat what he had said.

"You were born in Germany" he said curtly, "You were brought to Japan not too long after."

She tried to speak, but once again, words failed her. Her head turned back and forth between Catherine and Heero, from Heero to Catherine. Before he realized it, a frown had grown on her face and she had bolted up, trying to make her way to the door. Catherine grabbed her arm, however.

"Megumi-san! Let me go! I don't have to sit here and listen to this nonsense!" Relena said angrily. Catherine did not let go.

"Relena, sit down and listen to us," she said, "Afterwards, you can leave if you wish." She glanced at Heero briefly and then glanced down in guilt. She knew as well as Heero did that there was no intention to let Relena go anywhere with out someone watching her.

"No," Relena hissed, trying to break free, "If you're not going to accept my _okubo_, I see no reason to stay" she glimpsed at Heero pointedly.

Catherine sighed and frowned. With a forceful tug, she pulled on Relena's robes, compelling her to sit back down.

"I don't care what you think; you are going to listen to Heero! Walk away and you might as well just drop dead!" she ordered.

Relena stopped struggling, and stopped talking. The mention of death was wnough to calm her. Heero frowned; she wasn't going to make a run for the door again, but she was most likely going to refute anything they said from now on. She wasn't grasping the urgency and seriousness of the situation.

"Your parents were two much respected members of German society. Your father a lieutenant in the Great War; your mother the socialite daughter of a politician" Heero began. Relena turned back to him, her look of astonishment and confusion back with her.

"My parents…?" she mused quietly. Heero continued.

"It is not certain exactly what caused the change in their social status a few years after the war, but we know that your parents opposed the views of a certain friend of theirs. You most likely have met him, though you probably don't remember" he said.

"Met who?" Relena asked. Beside her, Catherine huffed in disgust.

"That mad man who is running Germany right now! He was your father's friend. Now, well, that man is the reason we have this whole ordeal" she said.

Relena, who was obviously still in the dark glanced between Heero and Catherine again. Once more, Heero continued.

"As your father's friend gathered power, the animosity towards your parents grew, and eventually, they were forced to flee the country."

"Forced to leave? Why? Were their lives in danger?" Relena asked. Heero nodded.

"Their friend supposedly was threatening to harm them if they didn't support him. They weren't able to slip out of the country, but they did make a deal with a salesman who was traveling to Asia. He agreed to take you and your brother, Zechs, with him on his travels, and leave you both with a family. He gave the name of the family to your parents, who promised to come for you and Zechs as soon as they could."

"Milliardo!" Relena exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, They were just recently able to come out of hiding and make it to Japan," Catherine interjected, "Though when they found the family in which the salesman left you with, neither you nor Zechs were there; and the man you thought to be your father lying on his death bed. It was then after, your parents sent a messenger to us, requesting that we find you for them."

Relena balked at the mention of her Japanese father.

"So, so he's dead?" she asked meekly.

"We don't know for sure," Catherine said, shaking her head, "He turned out to be a dishonest man."

"He wasn't dishonest!" Relena burst, "He was kind and loving! He was my father!"

"He was not your father," said Heero, feeling sorry that Relena had to live under such a man. "He dishonored you and your brother."

"No," Relena began, Catherine spoke up, interrupting her words.

"He sold you Relena, how is that loving?" she asked.

Relena hung her head, a frown on her face. She was trying to fight Heero and Catherine's revelations, fighting most unsuccessfully.

"Your parents questioned him about you and Zechs," Catherine said, "He wouldn't say much about you, only that you weren't very obedient. He even went as far as to say he had no knowledge of a boy child. He continued to say that he had never met anyone named Milliardo. When asked about the name of Zechs, nothing came to his mind. God knows what he did to make Zechs leave."

Relena shook her head as Catherine finished her sentence. As she looked up, Heero saw that her confused frown was now one of anger.

"He didn't leave because of abuse or anything like that. He left for a woman, for Kayumi" she said, spitting out the last word as if it had turned sour in her mouth.

"Kayumi…" Catherine mused, "He was her dresser for some time, but I doubt he interacted with her much after that."

Relena shook her head. Heero could see that she was getting excited again, eager to reveal the bit of information that Catherine did not know of. At first Heero wanted to silence her, but supposed that telling Catherine would earn him no more that the woman's usual angry glances in his direction.

"I saw him with her at the cherry blossom party. I heard them arguing about something, and about…about me" said Relena. Her voice became gradually quieter as she went on.

"What were they talking about?" Catherine asked, now very interested in what Relena was saying.

Relena only shook her head.

"I couldn't make much sense of it," she said, "He told her that he didn't want to go on with whatever they were doing, and then Kayumi became enraged. She wanted him to choose between her and myself. I-I still have no idea as to what they were talking about."

Heero certainly knew what they were talking about. He understood it the moment he found out who were arguing. He was very surprised at the time, it was then that he understood why Zechs was so interested in Relena; she was his sister. After he saw the upsetting state that Noin, or Kayumi, was in, he tensed and decided that Zechs and Noin were worth watching. Since Relena was Zechs sister, Heero surmised that he was staying near her to watch over her, and possibly abduct the girl if any danger came to her.

Heero saw this as a threat to his mission. From there-on, he made it a point to know where Relena was every second of every day. This meant putting more pressure on Catherine, since she and Heero were the only people of their group that could be seen out of doors. She was angry at first, but relented after many more times of questioning.

"He is still that close to her?" Catherine said taken aback. She didn't know that Zechs and Noin were working together on something. "He is my dresser! What business does he have with her?"

"I don't know" Relena said defensively.

Beside him, Catherine began pressing Relena for more information. The questioning soon escalated into an argument between the two women. Catherine began to think that Relena should have tried to figure out more, or that she was holding back, to protect Zechs.

"Why would I protect him?" Relena asked angrily, "He has done nothing that would make me feel any concern for him. He left me for her!" she said referring to Noin.

"Please try to think of anything else that you might know. There could be a connection here, one that we must know!" Catherine said. Relena sighed in irritation.

"You want me to tell you things I don't know? I'm still confused about what you are telling me! Does this all have something to do with the _mizuage_?" she said, "If you don't want to be my _mizuage_ patron Yuy-san, just say so."

Catherine shook her head and frowned as she began to fire another round of questions. Heero caught her eye, giving her a disapproving look. He didn't want to reveal that bit of information, in case of scaring Relena into doing something foolish. Catherine glared at him before returning to the task at hand. She brought the conversation back to telling Relena about her hidden past.

It was evident that she didn't want to believe what they were telling her, whether or not she really did think it true. She was doing all she could to convince herself that it _wasn't_ true.

"Relena, the _mizuage_ is a ruse, all of this is. Even your career as a geisha" Catherine said, "Everything was done for your safety."

Relena stared in Catherine's direction, confused, again. She slowly looked away, down at the table and coughed angrily. She frowned as she spoke.

"You made me think that the only way I could survive was to compete for the attention of rich men. Do you know how agonizing and vindictive this world is? How is that for my safety?" her voice faltered, was she holding back tears?

Catherine reached over and grasped Relena's hand, trying to offer some form of comfort. Her hand squeezed the other's as she sighed.

"The moment I met you Relena, rather, the moment I heard of you, I knew that you were no ordinary girl," Catherine said, chuckling to herself a bit, "You did not wait for your mistress to obtain an older sister for you. When Teacher Tanaka approached me I could tell that you were not one to follow the rules."

Catherine paused and cautiously glanced sideways at Heero.

"Everything that we have told you is purely confidential," Heero said, "Catherine told me that you had expressed a want to runaway. If you had known this information then, there is no doubt in my mind that you would have tried to escape and therefore putting yourself in danger."

Relena balked not only at the mention on her conversation with Catherine, but also Heero's knowledge of her innermost thoughts. Heero was now sure that she disliked him more than ever.

"Danger," she said, "From who? The Germans that you say are after me?"

Heero frowned and fought the urge to reprimand her for the thinly veiled anger and sarcasm she was directing towards him. He could not help it if the truth hurt.

Next to him Catherine spoke hesitantly, as if trying to protect Relena from more shocking news.

"There is one person in particular that I have tried to keep you from," said Catherine, "But I find I am in no position to contradict such a powerful man."

Relena brought her gaze up from the table to look at Catherine. She slowly and quietly asked her who it was, but Catherine was unable to respond. Relena continued to prod her, though Catherine found herself once again speechless.

"Megumi-san, please; I have a right to know who wants to kill me!" she said.

"It's the man you've been fawning over for the past few months" Heero said sarcastically.

He was frustrated before with his decisions not to do something about the situation, and Catherine's hesitance to tell Relena everything. The girl was right; she did have a right to know the goings on of her own life. He just wanted this conversation to be over, and he wanted to get Relena out of Kyoto.

It was when he glanced at her, he saw that she was looking at him as if she understood every possible thing a human could. She wasn't smiling, nor was she showing fear. Rather, she was gazing at him with a sort of unfortunate realization.

He began to grow uncomfortable as she continued to stare at him. What did she know? Although he showed no sign of his uneasiness, he wanted nothing more than for her to look away; focus on anything but him. Those sharp blue eyes bore through him; something that he despised in any person, but miraculously found it quite refreshing with her.

Finally, he forced himself to glare at her, which he was beginning to find relatively hard to do.

Relena seemed to snap out of whatever dream she was having and opened her mouth to speak.

"It-it is you, then?" she said to him.

Heero was taken aback by her question. It wasn't him at all. How could she think that he meant to kill her? True he wasn't the friendliest of people, but there was absolutely no intention of hurting her. Did she really believe that she had been ingratiating to him and him only? For a brief moment Heero felt some sort of oddly twisted pride well up in his chest. He quickly sequestered the thought though. As soon as he realized what he was feeling, he banished it from his mind and body.

Catherine's impatient annoyance had come back. She chastised Relena for saying something as rude as that. She reassured the girl that the dangerous man was _not_ Heero. But there was something more to her reproach. Whatever it was, Catherine saw something more in Relena's statement, something that she did not like. Heero vaguely thought that it had something to do with Relena feeling herself romantically attached to him; but to think of it scared him thoroughly, and he refused to consider of it.

"No, it is not me," he said, silencing his two companions, "I'm not here to kill you Relena. I'm here to pro-" he began, but stopped abruptly as his ears picked up noise from outside the room.

Neither Catherine nor Relena's ears were as conditioned as Heero's. They looked to one another, then to Heero, thoroughly confused.

"What were you saying?" Relena asked, but Heero did not reply.

He instead put a hand up in front of her face, meaning he wanted her to be quiet. Catherine followed his example and began to glance behind her at the door.

Heero stared intently at the door. There were people coming up the stairs. He couldn't make out an exact number but he guessed about four or five men. All were silent except one who spoke with a calm and commanding voice.

What the man was saying, Heero was not sure, but he had no hesitations that the men were heading strait for the very room they sat in; and it wasn't for a friendly visit.

Heero quietly stood up and whipped out his revolver. Relena began to speak again, but Catherine hastily put her hand over Relena's mouth. He silently paced to the door, standing just off the side, listening for more voices.

When he confirmed that there was indeed five men, he glanced over to Catherine and Relena.

"We need to leave" he whispered.

Confused and frightened, both women nodded. Relena began to take steps toward the door. Catherine pulled on her arm, motioning that they would have to go through the window. Relena recoiled at the thought.

"The _window_?" she quietly hissed.

"Relena, please!" Catherine implored.

Relena hesitantly agreed and found herself being pulled towards the open window. Heero watched Relena angrily, but softly asked Catherine how exactly they were going to escape through a second story window and fall safely to the ground below. Catherine replied with some equally sardonic comment, but Heero's attention was brought back to the door which had suddenly been slid open. Behind him, he heard Catherine gasp.

There in the doorway stood four men in two rows, each with a long barreled pistol in their hands. The two in front had them pointed in at the room's inhabitants.

Heero immediately put his revolver in front of him, aiming at the men. He was very prepared to shoot anything that attempted to harm the two women behind him.

"Don't just stand there men, take the room" said a very familiar voice from the hallway.

The men did as the voice commanded and walked into the room. The two that had been in front moved to opposite sides of the room, forcing Heero to back up in order to shield Catherine and Relena. The two men that had been behind entered and stood to either side of the door. The four pistols remained pointed at Heero, Catherine, and Relena. Heero showed no sign of backing down.

After the latter set, the man that was giving the orders came into the room. He had to bend down in order to clear the doorway. It was as Heero had feared. He could not look behind him, but he could imagine the pale and frightened look on Catherine's face.

"Lord Khushrenada!" Relena exclaimed nervously, "We've already met; is there something more you wanted to say?"

Treize laughed as he stepped further into the room. Heero didn't know what Relena was trying to accomplish with her cordial talk, but he welcomed it; as it gave him time to think of an escape route . Treize began to brandish an ornate European sword as he laughed.

"In a way Relena, yes. Though, I am here to investigate an entirely different matter than the _mizuage_" he chuckled, "One that I see when left out of check, can run rampant!" he continued with a smile and a positive attitude. Heero found it disgustingly uncouth.

Heero heard Relena gasp much like Catherine. She had not expected Treize to know her real name. It had finally dawned on her that Trieze was the man who had been sent to kill her.

"Oh god…" she muttered to herself.

In front of Heero, Treize nodded.

"Yes, you will all need God in the time to come," he said. He then glanced at Catherine. "Especially you dear Catherine! I always knew you were a deceitful little wretch, though I did not act on it."

The usually opinionated Catherine had nothing to say in reply. She was too stunned and so frightened that she had no opinion at the moment. Heero pointed his pistol at Treize, provoking the other men to point their guns at him; he did not waver.

"Leave" he said curtly.

Treize laughed again.

"I cannot," said Treize, "Now that I see who had been thwarting my plans, I simply cannot!"

He began to pace the room, the sword lazily swinging back and forth in front of his chest.

Heero took this chance, when Treize was caught in his own thoughts to move backwards in tiny increments. Hopefully, the women would catch on and move closer to the window, eventually to a point where Heero could hoist and shove them out of the room.

"Now Catherine," Treize started, "If you tell me the names of the people you have been conspiring with, I will not harm you or Relena. As for Mr. Yuy…"

Treize smiled at them an eerie, charming smile. Catherine backed further up to the window as she put Relena behind her. Heero never let his eyes leave Treize and the men around them as He followed her.

"D-danna-sama," she stuttered, "I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about!"

Treize laughed at Catherine's pitiful lie as he continued to pace around the room. He laughed, then chuckled, then ginned. Soon, his jovial attitude was gone, and replaced by a mean frown.

"I have put up with your nonsense long enough. Tell me who you have been working with," he demanded. When Catherine didn't reply, he spoke again. "I will not hold back anything. Save yourself and tell me."

"Megumi…" Heero heard Relena say in a pleading voice.

She gasped again when the man to her side advanced, gun pointed at her. Heero turned to face him quickly and stepped in front of Relena.

"Conniving woman," Treize said in a deadly tone.

Catherine still refused to offer up any information to him. She shook her head for a lack of anything to say. Treize frowned and mumbled curses under his breath.

"Fine" he said and waved his hand in a sort of hurried matter.

Immediatley, the men they were surrounded by lunged at them; their guns pointed up and ready to fire.

Heero immediately pushed Relena and Catherine to the floor and shot at the man directly in front of him. Having no time to react to the sudden attack, the man fell to the floor with a hole in his face, and blood everywhere.

Both Relena and Catherine cried out in surprise; Relena had never seen anyone die in front of her eyes, and Catherine had never seen it done so quick and without emotion.

Heero ignored their shrieks and proceded to divert his attention around the room, disposing of his enemy as soon as he could. From one man to the next, he fired his revolver at them with excellent precision. He tried to avoid killing them, but they were all moving so much, it made it slightly harder to focus on one.

Treize stood motionless in the middle of all the commotion. Heero glanced at him, just in time to see the man raise a gun of his own; it was just as ornate as the sword. It was pointed at Heero, he would have doged the fire if the women were not behind him. Instead, he tried to shoot at Treize, but the man beat him to it.

A hot searing pain ripped through his arm and echoed throughout his body. He grunted in pain before falling down onto his knee. He gripped his left arm with his hand in a poor attempt to prevent the spillage of his blood. Above him, Treize smiled.

"Heero!" Relena yelled.

She pushed away from Catherine's hold and rushed to Heero's side. He looked to her and frowned.

"Get back!" He ordered, but Relena would have none of it.

She quickly reached into her obi, pulled out a blue handkerchief, and began to firmly wrap it around his wound. For a moment, Heero was once again taken back by her actions towards him. It was when he saw the fourth man come at them.

On their other side, Treize also advanced. He cocked the gun once more and pointed it at Heero again.

The other man came rushing at Relena. He had his leg thrust back, ready to kick her. Choosing Relena over himself, Heero pushed her out of the way and was promptly hit in the face. A cracking noise erupted, and he knew that his nose had been broken.

Behind him, Catherine lunged at Treize. She rammed into him with such force, they both fell backwards, forcing Treize to fire his gun into the wall, narrowly missing the recently kicked Heero, and Relena.

"Megumi!" cried Relena as Treize quickly recovered and wrapped his arm around her neck in a deadly embrace. All movement stopped at he held his pistol to her temple.

"This is where the nonsense stops" he said, breathing heavily. "I have no time to fool around with you all. If you will not divulge to me the information that I want, then I will have to take you along with me on a little trip."

"Let her go" Heero said harshly. He meant it as an order, but he knew that Treize would not consent.

"Were?" Relena inquired after the trip that Treize wanted to take.

He smiled as he said, "Tokyo. The girl's parents await her return; though I fear that Relena will never meet these people."

"You speak as if-" Catherine began as she strained against Treize's grip. She suddenly gasped as if she had an epiphany. "Then Relena's father and mother are not-"

"Yes!" hissed Treize as his hold tightened, "And you will do well to keep your mouth shut!"

In his arms, Catherine groaned as she came to some realization; as if she had made a terrible mistake. She broke down in to a pool of tears as she cursed herself.

"All along then, the wrong-"

"Quiet!" Treize said as he tried to shut her up.

"No," she muttered between her sobs, "No!" she said once more and began to struggle; seemingly forgetting that she had a gun against her head.

Immediately, Heero forced his way to his feet and charged towards Treize and Catherine. Relena called after him, but he ignored her.

He had just managed to lift his revolver when something hard and blunt struck him against the back of his head. The pain burned; and he could feel the heavy throb of his veins, his blood was escaping him.

Combined with the previous blow, Heero fought to keep consciousness; but to no avail. Blackness crept into his vision from the sides. He fell onto his front, unable to stop the coming shadows. As his eyes shut, the last thing he heard was a gunshot and a terrified scream from Relena, crying out for Catherine.

。。。。

Whoot! I'm almost done with this fic! Are you all enjoying it? I hope so. Pray for its completion! What do you think so far? I curious to see how you want things to end…


	10. chapter 10

Thanks to all who reviewed chapter 9. I hope that I did well with the action (eep!). One more thing, hints have been dropping like flies…

Thanks for the reviews! I know I've been very bad about updating, but life always finds a way in…Thanks to heaven'sgirl (your always there! Yay for you!), Rin Amaru (you're my grammar guru now! Thanks for the help!), rockerchick224 (I love that you love the fic!), Anaid (I'll try to keep it interesting for you!), and MissNoName (Please, I need more of those sharp jabs!).

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Wing or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden or anything related to either of them (except my plot!).

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 10

。。。。

It was an unnaturally quiet night. The Iwamoto teahouse was usually a very lively place, even so close to midnight. She had been hoping that there would be at least some parties in progress. Even though she had no idea where Kayumi was, Hilde wanted to see what was going on for herself.

If what Kayoko said was true, then Kayumi was no longer her older sister. That meant that she had no mentor, and no way to forward her career. It seemed so typical that things like this happened. First, she is taken from her parents, placed in the Itoo okiya at the ripe age of two. Then she had to endure the cruel upbringing of her first Mother. The woman was even more vicious than the Mother she had now. She had lived through scores of geisha that entered the house and left it. She was always told that her way out of the system was to embrace it, to climb her way to the top. She had thought it a possibility, until Kayumi first arrived.

She came not too long after Mother did. She was kind at first, but after about a month, she turned into the monster that Hilde knew now. As to what caused Kayumi's radical transformation, Hilde did not know. However, she had an idea that Mother played a part in it. One was always different after a long chat with Mother.

Kayoko came after as well. She was just as nasty then as she was now. Hilde disliked the both of them.

Then there was Aikyou. Hilde would never refer to her as Relena. Relena was a friend the Aikyou had killed. Though it hurt her, Hilde stopped being kind to Aikyou. She did not want friends any longer, she only wanted out. Kayumi was gone, Aikyou and Kayoko were her rivals; things were not good.

She swiftly crossed a narrow street. The Iwamoto teahouse loomed in the distance. A few lights were on, though not as many as she would have hoped. Two black cars were parked in and alleyway a few steps away from the tea house, their engines running. Hilde frowned at this. The government had begun posting restrictions on gasoline. To waste it like these cars were doing was immoral. She supposed that the rich would like their cars warm.

As she came closer and closer to the teahouse, a gunshot rang out into the night. She stopped dead in her tracks, could she be hearing things? She had been lost in her thoughts, so she could have been imagining it. She picked up her feet and started to walk when she heard it again; it was swiftly followed by two more shots. She was not dreaming of it, those had to be real gun shots. Soon another shot came, accompanied by shouts and screams. Hilde now realized that the commotion was coming from the Iwamoto teahouse.

She sprang into a run, scampering as fast as she could along the street. Her _zori _clacked loudly, echoing up and down the alleyways. She had never seen the city so dead at night. Even though it was close to midnight, a few people and rickshaws usually littered the streets. It was something bad for Gion to be so empty.

She came off of the street, and broke out into the open square. She could see a brightened window, on the second floor, with vigorous looking activities going on. People were yelling and running about the room. Several more gunshots went off. Then, all movement stopped.

Hilde slowed her run to a brisk walk, as she continued to cross the street. She kept her gaze on the room, only looking ahead of her to make sure she didn't run into anything.

The room was quiet; she couldn't hear any more voices. She soon stopped walking and stood just off to the side of the building, her eyes on the room above.

A minute passed as she watched the window. Any passerby on the street might think it odd to see her stand there, staring at a lighted window. As she seconds passed, Hilde began to believe herself foolish.

Suddenly, another gunshot rang out. Hilde jumped in surprise at hearing the noise. More shouts and screams came, and then, a most familiar voice.

"Megumi!" it screamed. It was Aikyou.

Hilde gasped when she heard Aikyou's voice. She sounded as if she was in pain. Hilde's felt her heart tighten at the sound. As much as she disliked Aikyou, she never wanted her to be in any sort of pain. Well, not any type of physical pain.

She began to make her way around the building to the entrance. She wanted to go up and see what was going on; and perhaps she would find Kayumi there as well.

As soon as she made a step forward, a familiar hiss came from behind her as she was jerked back towards an alley. She protested loudly all the way into an alleyway. The hand pushed her up against the building wall and covered her mouth.

"Do you want everyone to hear you?" Kayoko hissed.

Hilde slapped her hand away and glared at her.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped accusingly, "I thought you stayed in the okiya!"

Kayoko only laughed at her. She spoke hushedly.

"Did you expect me to sit around in that okiya while you went, running about the town?" she laughed again, "You're more obtuse than I thought" she said. She continued to laugh at her little joke. Hilde didn't think it was very funny at all.

She merely scoffed at Kayoko's comment, and turned back to the building. She began to walk back out into the street, but Kayoko grabbed at her again and pulled her back.

"What are you doing?" Hilde said angrily.

"I'm preventing you from getting shot" Kayoko snapped back.

Hilde stopped her struggles, and looked at Kayoko warily.

"What are you talking about?" she asked her. Kayoko laughed again.

"Haven't you heard the gunshots? If you went running up there, they would shoot you on the spot!"

"What? I've done nothing wrong!" Hilde replied. Kayoko sighed, annoyed.

"Do you think that matters? They'll shoot anyone who takes them by surprise."

Hilde glared at Kayoko again, caught in her own naivety. She gave credit to Kayoko for thinking of the situation that she would have found herself in. Then she thought again of what Kayoko just said, they?

"Who are you talking about?" she asked.

Kayoko visibly stiffened, then relaxed.

"I'm talking about the people wit the guns!" she said, as if anyone should know such a thing. "Really, Kazue" she trailed off.

Hilde frowned at her in question, but Kayoko kept her gaze away from her and on the entrance to the teahouse. She didn't seem like she was going to give anything up at the moment. It was Hilde's turn so sigh in annoyance. Typical Kayoko.

"Well, do you know what they are doing in there? I assume those cars in that other alley belongs to them" she said.

"Yes, probably" Kayoko said absent-mindedly. She wasn't even listening. She glanced at the running cars, and then back to the teahouse entrance. She inhaled, as if she were about to say something, and turned to Hilde.

"Did you come out here looking for Kayumi?" she asked.

"Why, yes, I did. I was curious as to why Mother through her out," Hilde said, and then she changed to a wary tone. "I thought that you would have been concerned as well, Kayoko."

Kayoko sneered as she looked her up and down.

"Concerned? The woman was nuisance." She said with disgust.

"Well, she was in charge of our careers. I thought that you of all people would want to know why the best geisha in Gion was thrown out of her okiya; especially if it affects your career and reputation" retorted Hilde.

Kayoko frowned at her and looked away. Hilde only pressed more. She walked into Kayoko's eye line. Kayoko turned away again.

"What did Kayumi do?" Hilde asked. Kayoko wouldn't answer; so Hilde grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her the best she could.

"What happened, Kayoko?" she demanded. Kayoko angrily snapped her head towards her.

"She hit Mother!" she exclaimed, "She slapped Mother across the face, and caused visible damage."

Hilde glared, almost perplexed, at Kayoko. Hitting Mother would have warranted a beating and restriction of liberties for Kayumi; though certainly not anything as severe as being thrown out.

"Kayoko, please be serious. Mother would not throw out Kayumi for just hitting her! She must have done something else" Hilde said to Kayoko.

Kayoko only glared back at her.

"I won't repeat what I already said" she declared. Hilde fumed.

"Kayoko! Tell me what is going on!" she exclaimed.

Kayoko glared at her again, but then her attention was diverted by something else. She looked beyond Hilde's shoulder and to the teahouse entrance. Hilde turned around as well, and gasped.

A few men, many who were wounded, were exiting the teahouse. The cars that were parked in the other alley began to drive around the middle of the street; they drove a loop, and stopped in front of the teahouse.

Once they stopped, a man got out of each car and held the doors open. Then, a few more men came hobbling out. Many of them were wounded, with bullets, Hilde assumed. The fit men helped their comrades into the cars, and then went back into the teahouse. Seconds later sounds of a struggle broke out, and Aikyou came bursting through the doors. Behind Hilde, Kayoko gasped.

Aikyou was being held by one of the men, who had a very tight grip on her arm. She yelled and thrashed about until she wrenched herself free of the man, only to trip and fall onto the hard pavement.

"Get up" said the man who was holding her as he came into view.

He walked to her and forcefully pulled her up off the ground. Aikyou began to yell again, prompting the man to cover her mouth. Aikyou only fought back, biting him. He yelled in pain, and began the brawl all over again.

"Oooh, this is interesting!" Kayoko hissed.

"It doesn't surprise me at all that you're amused by this" Hilde said.

Kayoko tittered on behind her.

"Don't tell me you are not enjoying this," she pouted. Hilde could just imagine her bottom lip jutting out. "I'm _so tired_ of seeing everyone fawn over the precious Aikyou. It's about time she saw some rough-and-tumble."

But Kayoko shut up almost immediately as she and Hilde witnessed the man finally grip Aikyou by the arm and hit her across the face, hard. Aikyou visibly weakened at the attack. The man grabbed her by the waist and threw her into the second car haphazardly.

"I don't enjoy seeing innocent people get the shit beat out of them" Hilde snapped. She was surprised with the harshness of her voice and the vulgarities she used, but she certainly felt it.

"She's hardly innocent…" retorted Kayoko. She was so unsure of her statement, however; Hilde could hear it in her voice.

More men came pouring out of the teahouse. They all hand guns, mostly pistols, but some had rifles. Most of them filed into the first car, then two waited by the teahouse doors. Hilde's mouth gaped when she saw the next person to come out of the teahouse.

Lord Khushrenada himself came sauntering out through the doors, his black cape billowing behind him. He looked confident and just as dashing as he always did. As to why he was in the middle of all this, Hilde had no clue.

"Hasten the pace men. I don't want a scene" he said.

"It's almost midnight sir," one minion said, "I don't think that anyone will be up."

Khushrenada turned to him with a deadly look on his face.

"I don't pay you for your opinion boy. Now do as I say and get them into the car" he said.

The boy quickly did so as he ushered some people out of the teahouse. Hilde felt shivers travel down her spine just at the sound of Khushrenada's voice. What was he doing here?

"Them?" she questioned.

"I have no idea…" Kayoko said, almost indifferently.

She and Hilde both gasped as they saw more men carry two bodies out the doors. They were limp in the men's arms. From here, Hilde couldn't tell if the were dead or alive.

"Heero Yuy; and Megumi!" Kayoko exclaimed.

"She's bleeding!" Hilde exclaimed as she pointed out Megumi. With her hair a mess, and her makeup smudged, her beautiful yellow kimono was soaked with blood. White makeshift bandages were tied tightly around her mid-section, but they too were greatly stained red.

"So is he," Kayoko said, pointing to Heero, "On his arm."

Indeed he was. A blood soaked blue handkerchief was wrapped around his wound.

"That's Aikyou's silk scarf," Hilde whispered to herself. Kayoko, however, took it as a comment directed at her.

"How do you know that?"

"I was with her when she bought it. I mean, I was with Relena when she bought it."

Kayoko sighed behind her, most likely wondering what the hell that had to do with the current situation. Though, something about the scarf set something off in Hilde; remorse?

When the remaining bodies were placed in the car, Khushrenada also slid into the second car, and shut the door after placing an order with two men outside. They nodded at whatever Khushrenada said to them, and watched as the cars drove away.

Hilde and Kayoko stood there, astonished at what they just saw. What the hell was going on, Hilde wondered. Why did they attack Aikyou, Megumi, and Heero Yuy? What was Lord Khushrenada, Megumi's _danna_, doing as the obvious leader of the undertaking? It was all very confusing.

"Come on, we must follow them!" Kayoko said as she jabbed Hilde in the side.

"What?" Hilde exclaimed, "How can we do that? I don't see any rickshaws available."

"We'll get a car then!" said Kayoko excitedly. She began to pass Hilde, when Hilde stopped her. She had to make sure she was hearing things right.

"A car? Do you know how to drive one?" she asked.

Kayoko shook her head.

"Inconsequential. All we need is to find a car!"

"Wait!" Hilde hissed as she grabbed onto Kayoko again, "What if the owner doesn't want to part with it?"

Kayoko stopped and smiled at her. She reached into her obi and began to pull something out.

"I'm a geisha, I have my ways of persuasion…" she said.

Hilde looked down into Kayoko's outstretched hand and found her pointing a tiny pistol at her. She could barely see it in Kayoko's hand. The barrel was no larger than a cigarette. Hilde gasped loudly and slapped Kayoko's hand away from her. She did not want any gun being pointed her way.

"Where on earth did you get that?" she hissed. Kayoko only grinned as she carefully placed the gun back in her obi.

"It doesn't matter," she said, "It has only one bullet. So I won't kill anyone; unless I have to" she added with a coy smile.

Hilde glared at her warily. She always knew that Kayoko would use any method to get what she wanted, whatever it was. Though, she never thought that she would revert to violence. The girl was a walking stick of lighted dynamite. Hilde just didn't know how long her fuse was.

"I hope you know what you're doing" she quietly said.

She followed Kayoko as she walked out of the alley, ready to start their search for a car. She knew that the best thing for her was to return to the okiya. She knew that Mother would be very angry if she followed Kayoko, though she couldn't get her mind off of what she just saw. Her curiosity ruled in the situation; she had to know why Lord Khushrenada would want to harm Aikyou and her acquaintances.

As she came to the alley exit, they were promptly stooped by Auntie. Hilde did a double take; Auntie!

"Auntie!" she exclaimed, "What-where have you been? You left the okiya one day, and never came back! I was so worried! What with the business of Mother and Kayumi…" she trailed off as she saw that Auntie was paying her no mind, and staring strait at Kayoko.

"It's a little late to be out for a party" she said.

"It's a little odd to see you out in public," Kayoko snapped.

Auntie only smiled. She sauntered over to them, forcing Kayoko and Hilde to step back. She looked characteristically confident, but Hilde had to wonder: did she see what they had? If so, what was she going to do about it, if anything?

"Where are you off to?" she asked. She did not stop her approach.

"Oh, nowhere" Kayoko said unrealistically as she pushed Hilde further back. Auntie laughed.

"Did you see it all?" she asked. She looked from Hilde's face to Kayoko's, and then smiled. "I suppose so. Well, in that case, you'll have to come with us."

"Us?" Kayoko questioned.

Auntie nodded and glanced behind them. Hilde turned to see a expressionless Wufei Chang behind them, dressed in traditional Japanese garb, with a Chinese saber pointing strait at her. She gasped.

"What is going on?" she yelled, very irritated. She reached up to push the sword point out of her face, but Wufei had a hard grip on it.

"I'm sorry," Auntie said, "But I don't have time to explain. Come with us."

Auntie nodded at Wufei who closed in on them. He walked up to Hilde and grabbed her arm. She had no idea what they were doing or where they wanted to take her.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what is going on!" she exclaimed as she wrenched her arm free of Wufei's grip.

"Please, don't fight. Come with us and we'll explain everything later" Auntie implored.

Kayoko latched onto her shoulder and cooed warnings into her ear.

"No, she's trying to fool you!" she whispered.

Wufei grabbed Hilde's arm again and attempted to pull her away from Kayoko. Hilde tried to loosen his grip, but he was adamant. She tried to shrug Kayoko off of her, but she would not let go either.

"Auntie, please," she said, minding the sharp point that Wufei had put to her back. "Why is Lord Khushrenada holding Aikyou and Megumi-san captive?"

"Yuy-san as well" Kayoko muttered. Auntie heard her.

Auntie snapped her head towards Kayoko, as did Wufei. They then looked at each other, their faces were full of surprise and worry.

"Heero?" Auntie murmured. Wufei frowned.

Kayoko grinned as she watched Auntie's face. Hilde knew that look well. Kayoko was on to something; or there was something she was hiding. Auntie saw Kayoko's smirk, and called her out on it. Auntie reached into her obi and pulled out a sleek black revolver. Hilde gasped while Kayoko stiffened as the cold barrel of the gun came closer to her chest.

"You are coming with us. Now" Auntie repeated, with more force.

They were cornered. Wufei had his awful sword up against Hilde's back, and Auntie's revolver was in Kayoko's face.

"Hilde, please," Auntie said, "If you don't come with me, you will be in great danger."

All her attention snapped to Auntie at those words; danger? How could she, a lowly apprentice geisha, be in danger? A few hours ago, she was unaware that anything was amiss in her own okiya. However, Kayumi was thrown out, then she witnessed Lord Khushrenada transporting people against their will. In a matter of moments, she had saw more than she ever wanted to. Now Auntie, a woman that she should be able to trust, was telling her that she was in danger? Not for the first or last time, she wondered: what the _hell_ was going on?

Auntie had called her Hilde as well. Kayumi had done that as well before she ran out of the okiya. It had been a while since anyone called her by that name. She was getting used to the name 'Kazue'. Auntie was playing at something, reverting back to 'Hilde' instead of simply saying 'Kazue'. The woman wouldn't deliberately hurt her, or that is what Hilde continued to tell herself. Also, Auntie had information; she knew things that Hilde wanted to know. So for now, she would have to follow the bait, all in her pursuit to understand why things had gone so wrong in such a short time.

"All right," she said, "We'll follow you."

Auntie smiled and began to usher them in the opposite way. Kayoko, however, did not want to follow.

"Kazue! What are you doing? You can't trust her!" she exclaimed. Hilde would have none of it.

"Shut up Kayoko!" she yelled, pure adrenaline was running through her veins now. "I want to know what is happening. Auntie has answers. We are going with her."

Kayoko stopped in her tracks. Her anger was rising, and Hilde knew she was going to go all out soon. She was praying that Kayoko wouldn't pull out her tiny pistol.

"Kazue, she knows nothing! How can a fraud provide you with any sort of real information?" she yelled.

"A fraud?" Hilde repeated, though she was becoming impatient with Kayoko.

"Yes! A fraud!" said a desperate Kayoko, "Her name isn't Auntie; she was never even a geisha! And him," she pointed to Wufei, "He is just a spineless brute that follows her around."

"Why you…" Wufei started, but Auntie called out for him to stop. Kayoko grinned at him mockingly.

"Is this true?" Hilde asked of Auntie.

Auntie nodded as she took her eyes off of Wufei.

"Well, the false identity part at least. My name is Sally Po. And despite what she tells you, I'm here to help."

Hilde nodded. She trusted this Sally Po, Auntie; though she had no idea why. Beside, her Kayoko was seething, but she didn't say anything. Hilde guessed that she was walking a thin line, and dangerously close to crossing that line.

"Also contradictory to what 'Kayoko' says, she knows much more than she lets on. And she is going to tell us everything." Sally said with a deadly tone.

She dragged Hilde to one side, and shoved Kayoko into Wufei's grasp. She glared at the girl as she spoke again.

"You will tell us, won't you? Dorothy" she said.

Hilde looked to Kayoko. Dorothy? She had never known her as anything other than Kayoko. Kayoko, Dorothy glared back at Sally.

"Where are we going?" she asked simply.

"Tokyo," Wufei said. He added a smile as well. "And, we have a car."

。。。。

There we go, chappie 10! To tell the truth, I have no idea when I can get chapter 11 up (I'm so bad about that…I know). Now that I'm on break, I can do more writing and such. Once again, sharp jabs can work…(MissNoName..). Thanks for reading, stay tuned.


	11. chapter 11

Here we go. Thanks so much to all who reviewed. You all inspire me to trudge on, even when I get writer's block!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Wing or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden or anything related to either of them (except my plot!).

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 11

。。。。

The train rocked back and forth gently, something that lulled a tired Relena to sleep. Her head slowly dropped down onto her chest, only for her to be jolted awake by some small voice in the back of her head. _Do not fall asleep_, it said. She fought against the sleep, but she desperately needed it. It was currently three in the morning, and the last time she was able to shut her eyes was a day and a half ago. But she just couldn't let herself fall asleep. The matter at hand was much too pressing.

She didn't know what she could do in the current situation. Megumi, no, Catherine was bleeding to death in the next car, and she had Heero draped across the bench with his head resting on her lap.

The gunshot wound on his arm was still bleeding; she had to remove her beloved silk scarf, since it wasn't helping anymore. She dared her luck and called out to the armed man sitting across from her; the one who had hit her.

"Sir, please, do you have a scarf I can use?" she asked.

He only glared at her, and he didn't say anything. He merely fingered the rifle he held in his hands. Relena nervously glanced at the gun, but she pushed the apprehension out of her mind.

"Please," she said again, "My companion is loosing a lot of blood! I beg you; do you have a scarf, or even a handkerchief?"

The man continued to glare at her and leaned back in his seat.

"What do I care if he dies?" he asked.

Relena balked at his answer. Her eyes not only held the fear that she felt, but now they contained the pure astonishment that she had for this man.

"You don't care?" she asked. How could he not care?

"My orders are to make sure that you don't get away. I was never told to act as your doctor" he said mockingly.

"Orders!" Relena yelled. She immediately hushed herself as Heero stirred in her lap. "What do orders matter when a life is in danger?"

The guard began to laugh even before she finished her sentence. He jabbed his gun in her direction, using it as a finger.

"That weasel," he said, pointing to Heero, "Has caused my Lord much trouble."

"And what of Megumi-san, I mean, Catherine? What has she done to deserve a bullet in her gut?" Relena asked, spitting the words out. The guard chuckled at the mention of Catherine.

"Another weasel" he said. Relena frowned at that, "She has caused the most trouble. So why would I help them?"

"Because you are human!" she said, "Surely there is some part of you that can show some compassion."

The guard scoffed again and looked away; Relena however kept her gaze on him. She knew that he could not be as bad a person as he was making himself out to be. Over the time of the train ride, he had been watching her like a hawk. Whenever she caught his eye, though, there was a small tint of pity in them. She resented the pity somewhat, but from that, she knew that he was not a monster, as would have her think of him.

"Just a small, insignificant soldier" she mumbled sadly.

"What was that?" he asked, most likely catching some of what she said. Relena stared back at him and voiced what she was thinking.

"You're not evil. You have no malicious intent. You're just a soldier, doing what you have been told to do."

His glare hardened, and he scowled at her. He shifted in his seat as he glared, and it was as if Relena could feel his uneasiness flowing out of him. She was making him uncomfortable with the personal questions. It was not her intent, she only wanted him to understand what she was thinking; and she wanted a new bandage for Heero.

"Yes, and my orders are to make sure you don't do anything funny. You just sit there and be quiet" he said and shifted in his seat again.

"I understand," Relena said softly.

"Then shut it" snapped the guard. Relena smiled to herself, she had struck a cord.

"You're not the monster you're trying to be. Please, be the kind person I know is there, and help me save my friends" she said, all while smiling at him benevolently.

His eyes moved from her to Heero and back again. The furrowing of his brow gave away his internal dilemma. For a moment, Relena feared that he would refuse her, but he reached into the side pocket of his uniform and pulled out a long white scarf.

"I usually use it to wipe my face, so it might be a bit dirty" he said quietly.

He stood up halfway and reached across the isle to hand Relena the scarf. The gun barrel was still fixed on her.

"Thank you very, very much" she said as she smiled at him again, trying to ignore the gun that was set on herself. He uneasily bared his teeth and went back to his seat. There were some faint stains on the scarf; and it did smell like sweat. It wasn't as clean as she had hoped for, but it was better than nothing.

Relena smiled again and proceeded to change the bandages on Heero's arm. She untied the blue handkerchief and was greeted with inhumane smells of blood and sliced skin. She immediately covered her nose to block the smell.

Across the way, the Guard watched her administer Heero's wound and tie the new makeshift bandage on. He was more relaxed now, and as Relena glanced at him, she thought she could see the faintest hint of a smile.

"I guess I'm useful after all" he said reflectively. The comment was not intended for her ears, but Relena answered anyway.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Across the way, the guard shook his head.

"No, it's not important. Besides, you're already doing something" he said.

Relena smiled and shook her head. She wrapped the scarf once more around Heero's arm, then tied it off into a snug, but not overly-tight knot. It was not the work of a practiced doctor, but it would have to do.

"Well, it'll be a while till we reach Tokyo. Neither of us is going anywhere, so why don't we make the best of our time?" she suggested, and she earnestly meant it. She was almost surprised at how honest she was being with the guard, a total stranger (and who had hit her, very hard), when she had spent the last years elaborating on semi-truths and lies.

The guard smiled at her again and leaned back in his seat. The gun in his hand relaxed and drifted off to the side, away from Relena. She wasn't sure if he was aware of this, but it set the wheels in her mind spinning. She had to get out somehow. She flashed a smile again as she absentmindedly stroked the stray hairs away from Heero's eyes. She lost herself once again in his face, something that she did often. Even if she wasn't near him, she could still see him in her mind, all day, on most days. She admired him, perhaps, she even cared for him; no, she _knew_ she cared for him. It was how deep that caring for him went that she thought constantly thought about.

Though, she was angry with him and everyone around her.

She was angry that everyone had betrayed her trust and put her through such ordeals. She was angry with her parents for putting her in the hands of a stranger. She was angry with Kayoko for being nasty to everyone. She was angry with her brother for ignoring her and plotting against her with the woman that was out to destroy her. She was angry with _Catherine _for playing along with everyone and carrying on the charade with Relena. She was angry with Mother for turning Hilde, her only friend, away from her, Trieze for catching her fancy, then dashing it with one ill composed glance at her body.

Most of all, and most puzzling to her, she hated Heero just for being a part of it all. In reality, she had no reason to be angry with him. He wasn't overly kind to her as Catherine had been, nor was he blatantly cruel to her. He was in the middle, which is where she surmised he wanted to be.

He had not tried to hurt her, he was a part of some sort of military or guerllia group, and he had a mission. He had not made any indication that he felt anything for his actions, good or bad.

Whether her feelings towards him were just feelings, or actual love, she felt that his participation in the epic scheme that revolved around her was a blow aimed strait at her heart. She wanted to hate him, so much.

She _had_ a reason to hate him, but it seemed a pathetic one.

。。。。

Another hour had passed, and Relena had continued in a surprisingly gentle conversation with the guard, whose name she learned was Hiroto Nishida. She found that he was an avid reader and a writer of many small stories. He had joined the military only because his father had been before him, and saw it as his duty to make his family proud. He had been assigned to Trieze's guards, to find himself doing the aristocrat's bidding.

Also, something that made her blush profusely, was that Hiroto was a big fan of Aikyou, her. He expressed his full apology for hitting her and for his mean language. Relena blushed throughout this part of the conversation and assured him that she had forgiven him long before.

"I'm always trying to be what a soldier should be," he said. He was much more open with her now, "But that doesn't work out most of the time."

"What do you mean?" Relena asked as she egged him on.

"What Lord Khushrenada has me do…it's so different from what I was taught" he said, shaking his head.

Relena nodded, fully understanding what he meant. The ideals and practices that her "father" had taught her vastly opposed what she was obligated to do in the okiya.

"I know what you mean" she said.

"You do?" he asked with a puzzled look on his face. Relena nodded again.

"My father had very specific ideals that he lived by. Life in a geisha okiya, however, completely opposed those ideals that my father believed in. I'm constantly at battle with myself."

Hiroto looked at her in agreement, then glanced down at his gun. Moments passed by as they both sat in silent reflection.

"The important thing, Hiroto," Relena said, breaking the stillness, "Is that you decide how you can live the life you want to live."

"…The life I want to live?" he said, to no one in particular.

He frowned in contemplation as he sat across from her. She hoped that he was taking her words to heart.

"If I had only done that," Relena whispered, "How different things would be."

Hiroto glanced at Relena then to Heero. He nodded to the man as he spoke.

"So how does he fit into all of this?"

Relena snapped her head up to him; she had been so wrapped up in her conversation with Hiroto that she had forgotten about Heero. For the past hour, all she had done was briefly glance at his bandages.

"I, um, he," she began, but nothing could come to mind. She didn't know how much about the situation Hiroto knew, and in actuality, _she_ didn't really understand how Heero fit into the grand scheme of things.

"I don't know," she said, "My older sister introduced him to me, and here we are." She added almost bitterly. Hiroto nodded thoughtfully.

"So you like him" he suddenly burst, rather matter-of-factly.

Relena literally gave a little jump at the impulsive question, jostling Heero's head around in her lap. She winced as she hoped she wasn't causing him any more damage.

"What?" was all she was able to get out.

Hiroto smiled, the faintest tint of pink began to appear on his cheeks, whereas Relena's face was a full-blown red.

"I mean, you're all over him right now. Did you know that you have been stroking his face for the past couple of hours?" he said and snickered to himself.

She blushed even more as she looked down into her lap. Her hand was on Heero's forehead with her fingers poised and ready to seemingly have another go through his thick mane of hair. The embarrassing thing was, all the attention that she was lavishing on Heero's head was a completely absentminded act.

"I, I didn't realize-" she stuttered. Hiroto chuckled to himself again.

"You do like him, don't you?" he said, being kind enough to ask this time around.

Relena stuttered her answers out again, entirely unable to say anything intelligible.

"I suppose there is something there; but I try not to think about it so much. I try to…leave it alone." She said slowly, choosing her words carefully.

"Well, why wouldn't you say anything?" Hiroto asked.

Relena outwardly sighed.

"A geisha would never admit her true feelings" she spouted almost word for word from one of Catherine's lectures.

She couldn't catch herself before she finished the sentence, but she was surprised at how automatic and closed off her speech had become.

"Of course…" Hiroto said rather sarcastically. "I don't see any reason for you not to say anything."

Relena sighed again. As pleasant a conversationalist Hiroto was, he was beginning to annoy her. Any time the topic of Heero was brought up, she always found herself flustered, and rightly so. Any question or comment concerning the man was loaded.

"Unless, the feelings aren't returned?" continues Hiroto.

Once again, Relena was speechless, she had nothing to say.

Silence was consent, however.

"I understand" Hiroto mumbled.

Relena looked back down into her lap and found her fingers making another trip through Heero's hair. Hiroto had voiced her fears. She had feelings, but they weren't mutual.

She sighed, once again and didn't try to stop herself as her hand traveled across Heero's brow. His face was so clam, a thing that she had never seen before. She was lost in it, and she decided that she was going to stare at him as long as she wanted; or at least until he regained consciousness.

"It's just, so hard" she muttered.

"What is?" Hiroto asked.

Relena looked up at him and smiled the most ironic smile she could muster.

"Everything" she said. Hiroto smiled back as silence fell over them once again.

She turned back to Heero, gazing at his face again. This time however, something was different. His brow was strained, like he was frowning. Relena frowned along with him. Beneath her hands, she could feel the muscles on his arms retracting. His arms were taut as if they were wound up like a toy gun, ready to fire. She looked back to his face, and saw his eyebrows physically move. She wondered, could he be…?

Hiroto brought Relena the answer she was looking for when he stood up and reached across the isle. He was reaching for the hem of her kimono, looking at it as if it was gold. She assumed that he had never touched something so fine, let alone own it. He probably only wanted to touch it, but he certainly made a mistake in wanting it.

"Your kimono is beautiful," he said as he started to fondle with the hem. "How much-" he began, but that was all he got out.

As soon as his hand brushed the fabric of her hem, Heero shot out of her lap like a bullet and lunged at Hiroto. The poor boy could never have prepared for the attack. Before he could say anything else, Heero had wrenched his gun away from him and belted him across the head with it. Hiroto was out before he knew what happened.

Relena had let out an initial yelp of surprise when Heero suddenly sat up. Now she was breathing heavily in shock. She should have been frightened of Heero, with all his skills concerning fighting and guns, but she was more afraid for Hiroto. She stared at the seemingly lifeless body on the train car floor, then snapped her head to look up at Heero, who was already in motion, planning their escape. He locked all entryways, and pulled down all the shades on the windows.

"I don't think that was necessary" she said as he walked past her.

"He is a guard under Treize, I can't take any chances" he replied curtly.

Relena glanced back down at Hiroto.

"You didn't, you didn't…" she said, but the words wouldn't come out.

"No" Heero sated calmly, "I didn't"

He stopped at turned to her, boring holes in her eyes with his. She had to admit, his eyes, and his face, weren't very friendly, but they weren't full of hatred either. They were burning, however, with what, Relena didn't know. There was a fire there though, and she could feel her body heating up.

"Thank you" she said quietly as he turned away.

Heero glanced over his shoulder and paused for a moment, pondering her words. Giving an acknowledging grunt, he focused back on the task at hand.

"They shouldn't have noticed, but we need to leave, now" he said.

Relena nodded as she stood up and gently stepped over Hiroto. She made sure not to tread on him. She gave one last mournful look to the boy and followed Heero to the back of the car.

"How close to Tokyo do you think we are?" she asked. Heero shook his head.

"I don't know" he said as he wrenched open the car door. The wind howled loudly as it entered the train car, whipping their hair and clothes around.

"We'll jump together," Heero yelled over the wind. "We'll roll down the hill; do not move once we stop rolling, wait until the train has gone."

Relena nodded, acknowledging his orders. She was finding it odd that she was more terrified of jumping out of a train, than being in the presence of Heero. Before tonight, she had no idea that he knew how to wield a gun so precisely. He was supposed to be a fishing company president. She wasn't scared of him, however. She should be scared of him, but she wasn't.

He reached out his hand for her to take, and she did. She latched onto his arm and cautiously followed him out of the car.

There was a small space separating the cars, small enough so that a person could simply take a wide stride across the gap. Relena wasn't concerned with that, however. The first thing she did was look down, down into the abyss. It was dark, but she could still see the tracks speeding by below them. She looked up at Heero, whose face was encompassed by the wind. He didn't seem too concerned with the situation, though she knew he was thinking about many more things than he let on.

She looked to him for reassurance; he looked to her for confirmation. She nodded, he nodded. Before she could even second guess herself, they were out the door, and flying away from the train.

Forever, she felt as if she were flying through the air. She kept her face buried in Heero's chest, she didn't dare look up. She was waiting for the moment that it would hurt, the moment that they hit the ground.

It came abruptly, sooner that she thought. At the last second, Heero twisted his body so he landed first. Immediately after, they were sent on a spinning course down a seemingly long hill. The initial hit was absorbed by Heero, but Relena still felt it. She held her tongue, biting back cries of pain as she felt the twigs and rocks stick her all over her body.

The spinning slowed to a roll, and the rolling eventually stopped. She froze instantly, following Heero's directions. They lay there, him on top of her until they couldn't hear the train anymore. She would have blushed at the predicament that she found herself in at the moment, but there was a sharp pain in her backside.

Relena yelped as she could feel a rock digging in her back. The weight from Heero on top of her pushed her further down on to the rock, causing her to wince. As soon as he noticed, Heero quickly got off her and stood up. He looked down on her with concern.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Relena nodded as she took his outstretched arm and helped herself stand.

"Yes. Just," she began as she brushed off her kimono and pulled brambles out of her decimated hair-do. "This was such a lovely kimono; ruined" she muttered.

Heero grunted as he stated to brush his own clothes off. He flinched when his hand roughly grazed over his wound. Relena was immediately at his side.

"Oh, don't hit it like that!" she exclaimed. She pushed his hand away from the bad arm and examined the bandage, now full of dirt and roots.

Her work was trashed.

"The bandage should be changed soon" she said. Heero only grunted.

"It's fine" he said and reclaimed his arm. She only sighed.

Relena stared back at him, wondering. Wondering how he knew when to strike, and when he woke up.

Blushing profusely, she asked him.

"How long were you lying there, awake?" she asked.

Heero halted his actions and glanced at her over his shoulder.

"Since you yelled at the guard" he said.

It was as she thought; which meant that Heero heard the entire conversation she had with Hiroto, including the intimate talk about Heero himself. She blushed even more through her smudged makeup and inwardly groaned. If he had heard, which she knew he had, then he wasn't saying anything about it; and she didn't expect him too.

He looked at her awkwardly, in a way that she didn't know how to interpret.

"We'll try to find a place to rest," he said, "Then we need transportation."

"What's waiting for us in Tokyo?" Relena asked slowly and deliberately.

He glanced at her again before he began to walk away.

"I don't know" he simply said.

She looked at his retreating back. It was chilly, but he was much colder. She wasn't scared of him, nor did she hate him. Though there was something there that frustrated her, but also drew her in.

Relena followed silently. It was going to be a very fretful journey.

。。。。

Chapter 11 for you. I am truly sorry for the long delays between chapters, I really am. But life intervenes, alas. Of course, sharp jabs do make my writing activity go up drastically…

If you find any typos or grammar mistakes, please notify me ASAP, and I'll fix them!


	12. chapter 12

Chapter 12 for you. There should not be more than 18 or20 chapters, unless I decide to tease you all and draw it out as long as I can…but I would never do that! I'm doing my best to get each chapter out as fast as I can, so thanks for being patient. If you find and spelling/grammar mistakes, please

Thanks to all of you who reviewed the last few chapters, I appreciate it greatly. Pureevil230, coldfiredragon, heaven'sgirl, MissNoName, darienishot, thank you, thank you.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Wing or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden or anything related to either of them (except my plot!).

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 12

。。。。

Three hours. For three hours, they had wandered through the country woods, with no sure idea of where they were going. They had not seen any sign of a house, or even a remote hut. There were no people to tell them where they were or which way that they needed to be going.

Three hours. Surely Treize must have noticed by now that they were gone. The train probably had been stopped and soldiers sent out after them. Heero grunted at the unpleasant thought.

He had no idea how far they had come since they jumped from the train. He was beginning to second guess his decision to escape, just for that fact. Although, being lost out of the grip of Treize was better than lost in his grip.

The cold wind picked up and lightly rustled his brown locks. He looked up to the sky, it was cloudy and starless. The air smelled of rain. He hadn't really thought of what his next plan of action would be once they jumped; he was going off instinct now, and instinct told him that they needed different clothes and shelter.

He glanced to his side towards the little creek that they had stopped at. Relena had become silent since their escape; he had become so accustomed to her voice, when he didn't hear it, he felt restless and had to check that she was still with him. He didn't quite understand where the strange and unfamiliar feeling came from, but it was plaguing him now; so much to the point where he was checking after her every few minutes.

The only words that she had uttered since was when they came across the stream. As soon as he consented, she went and crouched down by the water and undid the elaborate twists and ties that were her hair. Tucking the hair ornaments into her obi at his instruction, she dipped her waxed coated head into the water and tried her best to scrub the substance out. It was taking longer than he liked.

Her movement stirred him out of his thoughts and he looked to her again. She was returning to his side with wet hair and no makeup. He nearly jumped at the sight of her face. The mask was gone, and he saw her.

He should have guessed that she would remove the makeup, it was a wise choice. He just wasn't prepared for it. He had never seen her with out her face made up; and he was so familiar with the White Mask that she always wore. Yet, now as he looked at the pure, peach porcelain crème of her face, he found that he was very familiar with it as well as the white face. Somehow she was able to reach through the White Mask. Something that was very uncommon for geisha.

"What?" she suddenly said.

Heero was brought back from his thoughts again as he realized that he was staring at her. He shook his head and looked away. She gave a little sigh and began to twist the water out of her hair. He flinched as the sound of dollops of water slapped the hard, dry ground.

"How far we are from Tokyo, I wonder" she muttered to herself.

"We need to find someone who knows" Heero responded curtly. "Keep moving" he said and began walking again.

Relena nodded as she flipped her wet golden tresses over her shoulder and followed after him.

"Do you think they are out looking for us?" she asked.

Did she mean Treize and his men?

"Of course" he said, assuming she was.

As to how much ground was between them and Treize, he didn't know. It all depended on how long the guard he knocked out stayed out. He couldn't say that he felt particularly guilty about hitting the guard, who was really a naïve boy; though he can say that there was perhaps a second of remorse for the boy. Admittedly, the first thought that had crossed his mind while he was lying in Relena's lap was to kill him. Though, he knew even before he decided to take the boy out that Relena would be deeply upset if he killed him. So, for her sake, He did the least amount of damage he could do.

She walked silently behind him. He was amazed that she was able to keep up with him despite the tall apprentice geisha shoes that she walked in. He supposed that walking in such shoes had become like second nature to her. He had to confess that all his time spent in Gion had accustomed him to the sounds of geisha. The sound of their _shamisen_, how their fans sounded when they snapped them open in dance, and they way their skin tight _tabi_ socks slid across the smooth floors of teahouses. He even found himself being comforted by those sounds.

After how many more minutes of walking, and racing thoughts and theories through his head, he felt Relena tug on the sleeve of his good arm. When he looked down at her, she was looking ahead and pointing at something in the distance.

"Over there," she said, "A light."

Indeed there was a light further on. It was a relief to him, though he could not let his guard down.

He nodded and grabbed Relena's arm, pulling her behind him. She didn't argue as she latched onto the back of his jacket. His hand automatically went to the empty holster inside his jacket, and he was very frustrated to remember that Treize had taken his weapons.

All they could do was walk towards the light, and hope it was a friendly household.

Tentatively, they began to make their way through the trees and towards the light, which eventually gave way to the sight of a house. It was rather small and traditional. A small pen was set out in back with a few chickens and pigs. A square patch off to the side bore tall plants. The lights were on inside, and as they got closer, Heero could hear the sounds of a family at the dinner table.

He cursed under his breath at the thought of children being present. Relena must have been thinking the same thing as she tightened her hand around the fabric of his jacket sleeve.

"Should we even bother?" she asked him quietly.

"We need to change clothes, and get shelter. It will rain soon, and we can't get very far in the downpour" Heero nodded as he replied.

Relena sighed as she let go of his sleeve. She took a few steps towards the house and turned back to him. He was taken back by the patronizing frown on her face.

"Please, don't frighten them. We need all the help we can get." She said.

Heero balked at her comment, though he tried desperately not to show his confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, but your somewhat cold, Heero" she replied.

He pondered the thought for a few seconds. Yes, he supposed that he was a bit scary. Relena sighed again and started towards the house. He began to follow her when she abruptly stopped and turned back to him.

"Actually, I think I should do the talking" she said.

Heero frowned at her. "No, that's not a good idea" he said and walked past her. Much to his dismay, she spoke again.

"Well, we won't get anywhere quickly with you doing all the work"

Heero frowned, "Work?"

"This is your job, isn't it? Spy work and such" she said smugly. Heero sighed and walked past her, she followed.

"For a geisha, you're not very discreet at all."

Relena smiled beside him as she walked.

"Being a geisha is just an act. For me, it's only a stepping stone."

Heero though of her thought as they came upon the main entrance of the house. No sooner than they stepped up to the door, did a dog start barking. Heero cursed under his breath. The sounds of people inside the house moving around were audible. Once again, to his disappointment, children began yelling and laughing. The last thing he wanted was to involve innocents in his battles.

For a split second, he had the urge to move on, and find another house to knock on, but Relena pushed ahead and dared to knock at the door. He imagined that she was somewhat annoyed with him.

The commotion from inside ceased for a moment, everything was quiet. The shuffling of feet could be heard, and suddenly, the door creaked open a sliver.

A man, just a few years older than Heero peered warily through the crack in the door. Heero's gaze fell a few feet below the man's eyes to see two pairs of little eyes staring at him curiously. He didn't sense any fear from them.

"Yes?" said the man as he looked the intruders up and down. His gaze lingered on Relena's kimono and the hair ornaments that she had tucked into her obi.

"We need clean clothes and a place to sleep" Heero immediately answered. Beside him, Relena sighed once again.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" the man asked. He was making sure the door was mostly kept closed.

"I can't tell you that," Heero said, "Though we need clothes, please."

The man uneasily glanced between the two of them. Heero knew that he didn't want to let them in, understandably. Though, Heero was not going to leave without some new clothes at least. They were in a tight position, and he was loosing his patience.

When he was about to push the door open, children or no children, Relena stepped forward, holding out the hair ornaments in her hands.

"Please," she said, "We are in desperate need of a kind heart. Take these hair ornaments as payment for any trouble we may cause."

The man took the ornaments from Relena and looked at her with wonder in his eyes.

"They are very expensive, at least five-thousand yen each" she continued.

His eyes bulged at the mention of so much money. His hands clenched over the three ornaments.

Relena went even farther.

"Also, please take the kimono, the obi, and all the robes that go with it. It is made of tatsumura silk, and worth more than a lifetime of work. It's a little dirty, but nothing that can't be fixed. Please, take these in exchange for clothes and a dry place to sleep."

The man looked at her in disbelief, but eventually gave in and nodded. As he opened the door further, he revealed two little girls that had clung onto his legs. Both of them were very curious and stared at Relena and Heero without flinching.

"Girls," the man said as he unsuccessfully tried to shake them off. They both hung on tightly as his leg wiggled about.

Beyond the front door, Heero could see past the entrance hall and into the living room. A woman was sitting at a table surrounded by food. She worriedly put out her hands, beckoning her daughters to her.

"Yumi, Rikako, come" she said lightly.

The girls listened to their mother and quickly ran to her, letting go of their father's leg.

"You can stay for the night in the bedroom, but only one night. I have a family, you see. I hope you can understand" he said.

Relena smiled. "You've already done plenty for us, thank you" She said as she bowed deeply to the man. He looked down at her with surprise. He had probably never had such an elegant woman bow to him so low.

Relena went inside first. As he followed her, Heero was in awe of her ability to touch another person.

。。。。

The futons were rolled out, side by side. The woman of the house had given them clean clothes to sleep in, and she had laid out fresh robes for them to wear tomorrow. As Heero glanced down at them his only thought was of a traveling pilgrim, or a merchant, which was exactly what he wanted.

His back was turned as Relena changed into her sleeping robes. They had presumably been taken as husband and wife. Heero didn't appreciate the title, but he supposed that it was a good cover to take, especially if he was going to be traveling with Relena alone.

Outside, the sounds of cracking thunder and rain came to their ears and the room was frequently illuminated by the bolts of lightning.

"I'm done" he heard her say. He turned around to find her under her sheets and facing the other way.

When she learned that they would be sleeping in the same room, she wasn't able to hide the bright red that came to her face. He understood her embarrassment, to tell the truth, he was a bit embarrassed over the whole situation as well.

Relena reminded him that he needed to check on his wound again. After getting the necessary things, the removed the bullet, then let Relena clean and dress the wound.

"Is your arm sore?" she asked.

"I'm fine" he said.

Silence, though he could tell that she was weighing something on her mind.

"I'm…sorry about what I said before" she whispered.

Heero frowned, "What?"

"About this all being work for you. I mean, you must have some personal interest in the conflict, otherwise you wouldn't be here."

He grunted his reply as he slipped under the sheets. There it was. She was getting worked up on guilt over something so simple that didn't really bother him much.

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

Silence fell over them again. The family in the next room had gone to sleep, he could hear the different breaths of the parents, the children, and even the dog outside.

Though there was something nagging at him, again. He knew that he wasn't the friendliest person, but no one had ever told him so in such a cut-throat manner. Even Duo wasn't as harsh as Relena had been.

Sweet, docile, beautiful Aikyou, she was just and illusion. Like Relena said, it was all an act. They were both acting. He hadn't realized how similar they were.

"If you had run away, where would you have gone?" he suddenly asked.

Silence; then,

"I would have gone back to my father's farm; but since I learned he wasn't my real father…he's dead, though, isn't he" she said.

"Yes" Heero replied.

"I would be nice to know my true parents. You said you met them?"

"Yes."

She rolled her body under the sheets to look at him.

"What are they like?" she asked.

He sighed, unsure of how to word his response.

"They are kind, strong, they want to see you very much" he said.

"Hm," Relena muttered, "Do I look like them?"

Heero gazed at the ceiling above him. Did she look like them? No. She didn't, not one bit. Her blonde hair, bright eyes; it was nothing like the man and woman that he had met. How strange, that they never gave them any pictures of Relena.

"No, you don't" he said.

Relena frowned.

"Perhaps I look like my grandparents then," she mused to herself, "I wonder how many family members I have."

"We have to get to Tokyo before we can confirm anything."

"I suppose" she whispered as she played with the corners of her sheets.

He thought of her parents more and more, wondering why they didn't give any pictures or descriptions of their children.

Thinking of nothing more to say, it was his turn to roll over on his side. He was truly tired. His 'nap' on the train was nice, but the circumstances at the time were quite binding.

"Do you ever get tired of it?" she suddenly asked.

"Tired of what?"

"Being alone. You're always alone, every time I see you, even when you're surrounded by people."

Heero thought for a second, how accurate she was. He was alone because that was he had to do. He was to slip in and out of situations with no questions from anyone. He was to seamlessly integrate himself into communities. She was right, it was his job. Everything that he did was in correlation with his 'job'.

"I don't think about it," He replied, "I just do what I have to do."

He heard her sigh, she was annoyed. She squirmed on her futon before settling again.

"I thought you would say that" she said.

The comment perplexed him. He gave an adequate answer, he didn't know of anything else to say.

"Aren't you tired?" he countered.

"What?" she said as she moved again.

"You're always surrounded by people as well, more than me. Aren't you tired of pretending?"

She was quiet, as if she didn't want to answer. Once again, she sighed, though it was much more mournful than before.

"Of course I'm tired. After Megumi-san arranged my _mizuage_, I was planning to pay off my debt and run away. Though it seems as if I've already done that."

She had said that before, that she was planning to run away. That was before he intervened and took down her world in one swoop. Did she wonder what her life would have been if she had run away, did she know where she wanted to go? Did she wonder what her parents were thinking, how desperate they must be? Did she wonder what things would be without him, even without the tiny blip of time that he had in her life.

He couldn't help but lend his mind to these thoughts. It was highly against all his better judgment to think of chance and the 'what if' in his life, though he did it anyway. What his past was, what his future was; all of it, total speculation.

Yes, he was tired; so was she.

They really did not have as good a grip on life as they thought they had.

"Hopefully, by the end of this there will be no debt to pay" he said. He earnestly hoped for that, for all of them.

Relena brought her gaze to meet his eyes. She was surprisingly cold, yet full of regret.

"There is always a debt to pay. For my choices, I will pay" she said. Heero gave silence as his reply.

She looked away and turned on her side again, putting her back to him. The conversation was over. He was struck by how much she unknowingly commanded his attention.

He wanted to speak with her about her conversation with the boy on the train, but the timing didn't feel right to him. Besides, she had decided that they had said enough.

"Goodnight Heero" she whispered.

He didn't reply, there was nothing more to say.

。。。。

Heero waited patiently outside the house for Relena. As soon as he opened his eyes in the morning, he was up and about readying himself for the rest of their journey to Tokyo.

He had dressed himself the peasant clothes that the master of the house had provided for him and then immediately went to find their host.

The sight that greeted him in the main room was that of a family with breakfast. He sat with them when invited. The man's wife went to the bedroom to look after Relena, one of her daughters following her. Minutes later, they came back to the living room with her in tow.

"She doesn't know how to tie an obi!" the girl laughed. Relena smiled, embarrassed, but not hurt, as she sat down next to Heero.

"Rikako, that is enough" her mother said as she pulled the girl down next to her.

As she smiled, Relena looked surprisingly ordinary; Heero was not accustomed to seeing her in plain clothes. Her hair was tied up in a rather typical way, no makeup was on her face, yet she still glowed. They complemented each other rather well; him in grey, her in dark blue.

"I have to take my livestock to Tokyo to sell. I can take you as far as the city limits. There are many military troops deep within the city; they stop me every time I am there" the man said.

Heero nodded in reply. "That is enough for us" he said.

"Yes, thank you very much" Relena added and bowed, Heero followed her suit.

"You should go," said the wife, "It will take all day to get to Tokyo."

Her husband nodded. He raised himself from the table and busied himself with the preparations.

Heero and Relena stood as well and expressed their thanks to their hostess before exiting the house. Outside, the man was loading his pigs and chickens into the wagon that he had. A brown draft horse waited patiently for its master. His wife and girls stood at the doorway ready to see them off.

"You will have to sit in the wagon with my animals, I'm sorry" he said.

"It's no problem" Relena replied.

"Do you have a scarf we can tie around our heads?" Heero asked. He wanted one especially for Relena, to hide her trademark hair color.

The man produced two pieces of cloth from inside his robe. Heero gave a nod in thanks.

Before long, they were off. Their heads were hidden under wraps of fabric and the truth of their predicament concealed by the peasant clothing that they wore.

The girls waved goodbye to their father as they became tiny specks at the end of a long road.

As he gazed at Relena wringing her hands in her lap, he absentmindedly slipped his hands into hers, to stop her fidgeting. She didn't look up at him to question his move; rather, she simply kept her eyes on her lap, and grasped his hand in return. She didn't need words, and neither did he.

* * *

Chapter 12. Please keep the reviews coming! I can take criticism (please don't be too mean!). Thanks for reading, see you in chapter 13! 


	13. chapter 13

Here we go, chapter 13. No introduction needed. Thanks to all who reviewed: Alaskantiger, heaven'sgirl, animeboy-12, JasLine (this should be an aswer to your prayers!), The Al Bhed Princess, z, gundamgirl818. Your insights on my work is always appreciated. Also, if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes, please inform me, thank you.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Wing or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden or anything related to either of them (except my plot!).

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 13

。。。。

Her head snapped up. She was falling asleep again. With all that had happened since the night began, of course she was tired. Learning that her older sister was missing, seeing her acquaintances beaten up, bloodied, and taken hostage was too much for such a short amount of time.

Kayoko, or Dorothy, or whoever she was, sat in the backseat sandwiched between Wufei and Auntie, or Sally Po; both had pistols in the girl's side. Hilde had heard so many lies and so many name changes in the past few hours; she couldn't keep anyone strait anymore.

Up front was herself, Duo Maxwell who was driving, and Quatre Raberba Winner who had another gun pointed at Kayoko. Hilde did agree to go along with whatever these people had planned, but she didn't want to be on the bad side of Kayoko, she had only seen a tiny bit of the girl's malicious potential.

She sighed as she fiddled with the wrinkles on her kimono. For a split second she thought of talking to Kayumi's dresser tomorrow about them. She had come so accustomed to life in the okiya; it essentially was her home.

A bump in the road shocked her back to the present events. She had to remind herself, she wasn't going back to the okiya, ever. Even if she came out of this strange situation unscathed, Mother would never take her back; her reputation was gone.

Behind her she could hear Kayoko sigh, annoyed. Hilde wondered if she was thinking of the same thing she was, how much longer until Tokyo? They had been traveling for many hours. She could barely see traces of a sunrise on the horizon. Sleep was close, but she couldn't, not now.

Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think that she would be in the same car as all these people. Trowa Barton had been present when Auntie and Wufei first brought them to Megumi's apartment, but once he was told of what happened to Megumi, he immediately walked out the door. His face hadn't changed from its stoic façade, but Hilde wasn't mistaken when she saw a slight flinch in his eyes. She could only wonder what the connection was between Barton and Megumi.

Kayoko sighed again as she began to snap at Wufei; Hilde was quite used to it. Kayoko always became testy when she was frustrated. First the impatient sighs, then the snide comments. Hilde never had seen what came after; perhaps she would this time.

"Would you get that stick out of my back?" she said nastily.

Wufei merely rolled his eyes and replied with a very exasperated sigh. Hilde was amazed with his ability to ignore Kayoko.

"We'll let you run free as soon as you tell us what your doing spying on Khushrenada" Auntie said.

Kayoko grinned smugly as she squirmed against Wufei's pistol. "That's not how you play the game Ms. Po. You haven't offered me any kind of incentive."

Auntie, no, Sally grinned back at Kayoko, no, Dorothy. Hilde was having a _very_ hard time keeping names strait.

"We don't have to offer you anything Dorothy" she said.

"And I don't have to say anything" Dorothy replied.

She tried to sit back, but had to sit upright again as soon as she felt the jab of Wufei's gun, again. All she could do was scowl at the man.

Sally chuckled to herself. Hilde could see that she wasn't fazed at all by Dorothy's attitude. Hilde glanced through the rear-view mirror at Sally. She couldn't help but think of her as Auntie, who really was the only person that was kind to her in the okiya.

Dorothy frowned ominously as she smiled. Hilde mentally groaned at the thought of what she was about to say.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" she abruptly said to Sally.

"What?" Both Hilde and Duo said as they whipped their heads around to the backseat.

"Duo, the road!" Quatre exclaimed, grabbing at the wheel.

Duo quickly turned back to driving and gave Quatre an apologetic smile. "Sorry" he said.

"Did someone try to kill you?" Quatre asked concerned. Sally chuckled again.

"Oh no. I just got news from Trowa that Khushrenada was in Gion again a few days ago, so I took off" she explained.

Wufei, who kept firm control on Dorothy, blanched at Sally. "You left the okiya?"

"Don't look so horrified" she laughed at Wufei, "Une was about ready to do away with me, so I left before she could do anything."

Hilde furrowed her brow at all the name dropping. She didn't think that she could handle more names. She flipped her head around to face the backseat occupants.

"Une? Who are you talking about?" she asked. As she glanced at Dorothy, she saw her smile at her. If she was just an apprentice geisha like herself, why did everyone think she knew something?

Beside her, Duo huffed out a laughing bark. "Your Mother is a wolf in sheep's clothing," he said, "She's well associated with Treize Khushrenada, and we think this one is too" he motioned to Dorothy as he spoke.

Now she was just as confused as she was before, perhaps even more. Mother had a different name as well? It was just too much.

"Treize Khushrenada," she began as she pieced the information together, "Does Mother have something to do with Khushrenada being at the tea house earlier?"

"Yes," Quatre said frankly, "Well, that's what we think at least. The information that we have is patchy at best."

"Which is why we are so glad we ran into you!" Duo exclaimed at Dorothy, quite artificially. The girl was not amused by him.

"You mean Kayo… Dorothy knows what Khushrenada is doing?" Hilde asked. Duo nodded beside her, but Dorothy huffed angrily behind her.

Dorothy began to mutter to herself in the backseat, much to the displeasure of Wufei. Although she didn't know any of these people very well, she wondered how much staying power they all had against Dorothy. Hilde herself had been privy to Dorothy's antics, and had snapped many times.

Everyone seemed to be ignoring Dorothy however. Hilde was once again impressed.

The ride continued on in silence. Duo drove on though the early morning on the side roads. That was the first thing that she noticed. As soon as they left the city of Kyoto, Duo had made sure to keep off the main roads, opting for the bumpy country ways. Despite his goofy and friendly demeanor Hilde could see that there was much more to him than meets the eye.

And not for the first time since her evening started, her thoughts turned to a certain Duo Maxwell. Really, the only thing that was on her mind was if he really was to be Aikyou's _mizuage_ patron. The longer she spent time with this group, the less she believed that he was anyone's _mizuage_ patron. Her knowledge of Japanese culture and geisha standards told her that there was no way he could be, but her mind and all of her self-doubts said he was. Her heart hoped not.

Turning to him, she desperately wanted to ask him for the truth, but she knew that would be much too prudent of her. She opened her mouth anyway.

"How much farther to Tokyo?" she asked.

"A few more hours," he said as he tried to dodge a pothole. The car jumped and jostled around, forcing her to rub and bump up against the two men beside her.

Apologizing to both of them, she focused her eyes back on the road in front of her. So Dorothy knew something that she wasn't going to tell them. Duo and the others were probably going to do something to get the information out of her. Somewhere inside her, Hilde hoped that they would torture her, only a little bit.

But then another question came to her, what did Aikyou have to do with all of this? Why did she see Khushrenada toting Aikyou, Heero Yuy, and Megumi around like prisoners?

She turned around to face the backseat again and looked Dorothy strait in the eye.

"Why did we see Khushrenada dragging out a bloody Megumi? He's her danna! And Aikyou; where was he taking them?"

"I haven't the faintest idea…" Dorothy mumbled. Hilde sighed to herself.

"Khushrenada has orders to kill Relena's parents. He's just using her has bait" Duo said.

Hilde looked at him as her jaw dropped open. Her parents?

"What have they done? Who ordered that?" she exclaimed.

"The ruling party in Germany," Duo answered, "Though I don't doubt for one second that they'll kill Aikyou as well."

"What!"

"Which is why we need to get to Tokyo so we can head them off," interrupted Quatre, "If only Dorothy would tell us exactly where they were going."

"I already told you, I have nothing to say" Dorothy piqued.

Hilde was still trying to gather all the information in her head. There really was too much happening at once.

"I thought Aikyou was from the country, I mean, the Japanese countryside. She told me all about it when we first met" she said.

"No," began Sally, "She, her brother, and her parents are from Germany. Her parents betrayed a political leader, apparently, and now he wants them dead."

"So Khushrenada's job is to kill them?"

"Yes, kill all remnants of the family."

Once again, Hilde found herself at a loss for words. Is that what has been on Aikyou's mind all this time? Surely this was not why she left Hilde to the clutches of Kayumi. Of course it wasn't. She did that of her own accord; she knew what she was doing, even after she promised Hilde that they would bring down Kayoko together.

Though, Aikyou had to know of all these things. Hilde gasped to herself at a thought; what if she didn't know anything? How unfortunate for her to be attacked by a man she once admired. Hilde mentally cringed at the thought of feeling sorry for Aikyou, again, though she couldn't help but feel some sort of regret for the wedge that was driven between them. Did she want to be friends with Aikyou at all? She didn't know.

"I hope Heero told her about it before Khushrenada caught up to them" Quatre mused towards Duo.

"Knowing Heero, they are probably doing alright. But I'm worried about Catherine I hope Trowa doesn't find her mortally wounded" Duo replied.

"I wish we knew exactly where Khushrenada was planning to take them" Sally said as she tightened her grip on Dorothy's arm. Dorothy only smiled smugly.

"You would like to know that, wouldn't you?" she said.

No one responded. Hilde supposed that it would be like pulling teeth from Dorothy to get her to talk.

Was Khushrenada really going to kill Aikyou? Some part of her got the satisfaction that Aikyou was being punished in some way for her bad deeds; but really, her whole heart wasn't in it. She felt guilty for gaining a sense of contentment from the fact that Aikyou was in pain. She didn't like it.

。。。。

He was surprised that he was able to catch up with the train so fast. With Heero gone Trowa assumed that he had escaped with Relena. He was glad that Heero had gotten away, though he was worried about how they were going to get to Tokyo with no transportation. But with Heero at the helm, Trowa wasn't too concerned.

He was concerned about Catherine however. He heard the report of what happened at the teahouse, and if Heero had run off with Relena, then Trowa could bet that he wouldn't take a wounded Catherine with him.

So where was she? She had to still be on the train if no one moved her.

The cars rocked back and forth with the tracks. As dawn came he could tell that they were very close to Tokyo. Rooftops and tendrils of smoke became visible in the distance as the city awoke from its sleep.

Slowly, he slipped himself through the darkened car. There were signs of a struggle; tousled cushions, and tiny, but visible spots of blood. Was it Catherine's blood? Trowa frowned at the thought. Against his better judgment, he relished the idea of tearing Khushrenada to threads.

He walked further down the car isle, trying to keep his footing as the car shook. There was nothing in this car, so he quickly made it to the door of the next.

Sliding it open as quietly as he could, he peeked his head around the door. The car was dark, and no one was in there, except one still figure lying on the seat. Trowa took in a sharp breath. He couldn't see the geisha's face, but he knew it was Catherine.

Her hair was let loose and flowing over the cushions in long waves. The poorly dressed wound on her mid section was unforgivable. Her kimono wasn't even changed and the bandage was dark with oxidized blood.

He quickly went to her side and tried to wake her. He hoped to god that he wasn't too late.

"Catherine," he whispered, "Catherine."

She didn't stir. He looked down at her wound again and realized that it was still bleeding. He frowned in anger. Khushrenada's inattentiveness to his sister was unforgivable.

He quickly undid her obi and the folds of her kimono as gently and fast as he could. The entire area, all the layers, was soaked in blood. It was disgusting. There was a bullet somewhere under all of it; if he didn't find it soon, her wound would turn gang-green and she would die. He knew that, and he worked that much faster because of it.

Taking the silk under robe, he wiped away at the wound, trying to expose the point of entry. He crinkled his nose at the smell that erupted from the area.

As he gazed down at the opening, he realized that he would have to pry the bullet out. He didn't anticipate it, because he knew that without any type of drug to subdue Catherine, it would be extremely painful.

After taking off his jacket and shirt, he tried to wake her again.

"Catherine" he said, louder this time. She moved at little, "Catherine, please."

She groaned slightly and turned her head towards his voice. "Trowa?" she muttered.

He sighed happily, as he was holding his breath in the hope that she was alive.

"Catherine, you've been shot" he said quietly.

"I know that," she said. She smirked at him in that way that she always did; to him, she knew everything, and he could never get ahead of her, he was fine with that; they understood each other. He smiled back bitterly.

"The bullet needs to come out" he said.

She frowned, but nodded, giving him permission to dig around in her body.

He tried to be as careful as he could to pry open the wound with one hand, and sticking his forefinger and thumb into the opening. She winced and gripped his side in pain.

It was painful for him. He knew what he was doing, but he was no expert. The more he fiddled around, the more she bled, and he had to stop the bleeding.

He couldn't find it, the bullet was elusive. Catherine wasn't making much noise, but he could tell that she was in great pain. She was trying not to cry.

He dug his fingers deeper, hoping that the bullet hadn't sliced through any organs. Beads of sweat ran down his face as he became more and more frustrated, though he stayed calm, for Catherine.

His fingers probed, blood soaking them. Catherine was doing her best not to make a sound, not to scream, wail, or move around too much. Not only was he racing against the chance that Catherine could die, he was also racing against the fact that he could be found out any moment.

Just as he thought he heard movement in the next car, his finger brushed against something hard. He moved his finger around the object hoping it was what he thought it was.

As he pushed on it experimentally, Catherine squealed a bit. He had found the bullet.

"That's it" she whispered and grimaced.

"I just have to dig it out," he said to her.

She nodded as she acknowledged him, "Hurry."

He maneuvered his fingers around the bullet and tried to get a good grip on it. It was slippery and it wouldn't stick between his fingers.

"Do you have it?" she asked through her teeth as she gripped his pant leg with an iron grip.

"Almost" he whispered.

Her grip was unbelievably hard and, he had to say, a bit painful. He cursed Khushrenada for doing this to her.

"Ah," he said suddenly. He had it. "I'm going to pull it out now."

She nodded as he began to take the bullet out. He moved slowly so he it didn't slip away and move farther into her body. Her grip became tighter as the bullet came closer to the surface of her skin.

"Almost there Catherine," Trowa said soothingly.

He came closer and closer to succeeding, when finally, his hand was free of Catherine, and he let go with the hand that was prying the wound open.

Catherine sighed in relief, but Trowa could see that she was still in pain.

He quickly wrapped the bullet in a handkerchief that fell out of her robes, and stashed it in his pocket. He took his shirt, ripped it to shreds, and used it to dress her wound. Before long, her skin was clean, and the bleeding had hopefully stopped.

"I'm sorry I can't do more" he said.

She shook her head as she took his hand. "You already do too much," she said, "I ask so much of you, and you always exceed anything that I hope for."

He smiled at her as he took up his jacket and put it on over his bare frame.

"I do what I can" he said humbly.

Catherine nodded as she went to the question that she had wanted to ask him. She slowly turned her head to him again and spoke.

"Heero and Relena, are they alright?" she asked.

"Heero took Relena and escaped," he said, "I have no idea where they are now."

Though she was visibly troubled by this, she was also glad.

"As long as Relena is out of immediate harm, I'm satisfied. I know she'll be safe with Heero" she said.

Trowa nodded as he thought of his next move. He had to get Catherine out of here, away from Khushrenada. He knew that they had to get to Tokyo, but he didn't know where in Tokyo they had to go.

Suddenly, he noticed that the train was coming to a slow stop. Catherine gripped his arm urgently.

"Trowa, you must get out!" she said. Trowa immediately refused her request.

"No," he said, "I have to take you with me."

"I will be fine, you need to follow Treize undetected. If he knows that you have been here, he won't lead us to where Relena's parents are!"

"Catherine," he began as he took her hands, bloodying them. "Khushrenada will kill you."

She shook her head urgently as she squeezed his hands. "He wants Relena. He knows Relena, he will use me as bait. You need to follow Treize and find out where he has led her parents."

"I don't like this" he said as he shook his head. "Besides, Heero will not let her walk into a dangerous situation."

"Trowa, please. Heero may have a strong will, but I assure you, Relena's is just as strong" she said with a small little smile.

He didn't want to leave her, but she did have a point. Trowa hadn't personally seen Relena's resolve, but he heard that it was something to behold.

He heard movement in the next car, someone getting up and preparing to disembark. He cursed under his breath.

"Fine," he said to her, "But I will be behind you every step of the way. If Khushrenada tries anything, he's dead."

She smiled at him adoringly and reached out to brush his forehead. She stared at him for a few moments before patting him on the cheek.

"Get going" she whispered.

He couldn't resist her order, so he slipped out just as undetected as he came in.

。。。。

I'm surprised at how fast I whipped this up. I wanted it posted by Monday, but well, I'm lazy. Thanks for reading. See you soon (hopefully!)


	14. chapter 14

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Wing or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden or anything related to either of them (except my plot!).

I give thanks and virtual hugs to those who reviewed: The Al Bhed Princess (thanks for the cookie!), Arashi Maxwell, heaven'sgirl, Alaskantiger, SerenityDeath, whitepearl (I'm glad I was able to surprise you!), Samantha B (I have to say that is the STRONGEST reaction I have ever got! Thanks!).

**AN**: I just want to let you all know that in a couple weeks, I'll be on my way to study in Japan. I'll still be writing, but I don't know how much internet access I will have over there, but it shouldn't hinder me making updates. For more info, check my profile. Thanks!

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 14

。。。。

Catherine sat in the rear of a sleek black car alongside Treize Khushrenada. She was in great pain, even though Trowa had removed the bullet a mere hour ago. She was blindfolded and gagged, but she knew what a horrible state she looked. Makeup smudged and blood all over. Treize was doing a good job in concealing her from the public; especially since it was a bright morning.

He gave her a strange look when he ordered her movement from the train car to the motor car. He knew that there had been someone to see her. He knew that she didn't remove the bullet herself, even though her hands were stained with her own blood. She thought that evidence for herself doing it, but her wound was wrapped in the shards of a shirt that wasn't hers, which was evidence against it. Treize knew she was lying, but she was confident that he wouldn't do anything to her until he had Relena and Kazue in his grasp.

He moved a bit beside her and gave some directions to the driver.

Through all her confidence and trust in herself and her friends, she still felt like she was going to her death.

。。。。

Relena ducked behind Heero as they waited for a cart to pass them on the street. They were in Tokyo now. The pig farmer that had brought them to the city did as good as his word and brought them to the city limits. They made their way past the military check points on their own.

Kyoto was big, but she had only lived in a tiny part of that city, and she was never allowed to go outside of Gion without a good reason and a proper escort. Tokyo, however, was massive beyond all comprehension. She was astounded by how many western buildings there were; and the sheer amount of people was so incredible to her. There were vendors, rickshaws and cars up and down the streets. She had only been in a car twice in her life, and she had never seen so many all together.

She couldn't miss the plentiful amount of soldiers and military vehicles as well. She had never seen so many soldiers and guns in one place either. She didn't know if they worked for Khushrenada or not, but she avoided them anyway.

As to where they were going, she didn't know, and she had a feeling that Heero didn't know either. She knew that they were there to see her parents, but they weren't going to manifest themselves for her, she would have to find them. The idea of being in the same city as them was exciting to her, and she could feel the beginning of a nervous knot in her stomach.

Heero took her hand and began to lead her down the street. She hurried along after his swift footsteps the best she could. They were in one of the more traditional areas of the city. Heero thought that it would be the best place for them to be at the moment.

He still hadn't confronted her about the conversation she had with the young soldier. Frankly, she didn't know how to bring it up with him. He seemed unfazed by the entire thing, but he wasn't one to expose every thought he had.

"Are you getting hungry?" he suddenly asked her, bringing her out of daydreaming.

She shook her head, despite the grumbling in her stomach. She wanted to reach a destination and to finally meet her real parents. Hunger was the last thing on her mind.

"No, I'm fine," she said, but Heero wasn't buying it.

"There's a takoyaki vendor over there," he said as he began to lead her over to it.

"No, Heero. If we stop there, then we'll have to sit until we're finished. I just want to find where my parents are."

He pondered her words for a few seconds then nodded. Without saying anything, he grabbed her hand again and continued down the street.

"Where do you think they would be?" she asked him as quietly as she could.

"Perhaps at an embassy," he said.

"Embassy?"

"If they have recently arrived in Japan, then they will be operating through the embassy of whatever country they came from."

"Well, then we should go to the embassy," Relena said.

"No," Heero curtly replied, "Khushrenada's men will be waiting for us at any government establishment. We must go somewhere else."

Relena sighed as she stood next to Heero on the street side. They preoccupied themselves with pretending to look at baskets and pots. Inside her head, there was a whirlwind of questions and worries. Before, she was worried for her status within the Itoo okiya. Now she had to worry about staying alive.

"I'm sure there are many inns that we can go to," she said as she absentmindedly picked up a set of sake cups.

Heero nodded beside her. Which inn they should go to was the question.

"Sir," Heero addressed the shopkeeper, "Where is the cheapest inn around here?"

The shop keeper was a tall, lean man with a scruffy, overworked look about him. He eyed Heero warily, then Relena. He scratched his stubbly chin as he watched her inspect the cups.

"A Hundred-fifty yen each," he said to her.

Relena looked up at him and frowned comically, a look that Megumi always laughed at, and told her to make it one of her own. The shop keeper disappointingly seemed unfazed by it.

"That's a bit expensive," she said innocently. The shop keeper shrugged, offering no apology.

"I have a family to feed. I'm sure you can understand," he said before glancing between Heero and Relena.

She blushed slightly, because of course she couldn't understand; she didn't have a _family_ with Heero.

Heero cleared his throat, getting the attention of the shop keeper again.

"Inns," said the man, "If you want cheap, you should go to the _Akai Hana_, just a few blocks that way."

He pointed his hand down the street towards an unforgiving neighborhood, by the looks of it.

"Though the likes of you may not appreciate that kind of inn; it's not so fancy, and the people there are questionable," he continued.

"It doesn't matter," Heero said, nodding his thanks. The man nodded back.

Heero took Relena's hand again and pulled her in the direction that the man pointed.

"Wait," she said and turned back to the stand.

Looking hastily at all the products, she picked out the sake cups that she was looking at earlier. Grabbing one, she pulled two-hundred yen out of her obi.

"One please," she said, handing the money to the shop keeper. "Keep the change."

He smiled at her, which she returned whole-heartedly. "You understand; whether you have one of your own or not."

She smiled again, looking back at him as Heero pulled her down the street again.

。。。。

Dorothy sat next to Hilde in a one room apartment somewhere in the middle of Tokyo. Her captors were huddled off to the side, talking amongst themselves. Wufei was still holding his retched gun at her backside.

She realized that she was in a bad situation. If Une, or worse, Treize knew where she was, then they would certainly penalize her in the worst way possible. She didn't know if she was the reason that Sally and her lap dogs had Hilde and herself in possession, but she did know that Une wouldn't care. Given one chance, the woman would whisper in Treize's ears until he did his worst to Dorothy.

She needed to get herself and Hilde out of the apartment, and to where Treize was. If only the barbarian would show some weakness or vulnerability, anything to give her an advantage.

Duo, Quatre, and Sally continued chatting with each other. Dorothy rolled her eyes in their direction. How much longer were they going to talk?

"Are you done babbling over there?" she snapped.

"Oh, Dorothy!" said Duo as he turned to face her, "I forgot you were with us!"

She scowled at him, annoyed that they were mocking her every chance they got. Well, at least Duo was; the others mostly ignored her.

"Smug bastrad," she mumbled under her breath.

"The only person keeping you here is yourself Dorothy," Sally said.

"Please…" Dorothy said to herself.

Sally turned to Dorothy as well, giving her a smug grin.

"We all know very well that you are the least innocent person in this situation. You are holding back information that we would like to know" she said.

Dorothy glared at Sally as she thought to herself. Of course they didn't know what would await her if she acted out of Treize's favor. She was in a difficult position. Getting herself of Une's bad side was a poor move. Dorothy had hoped to swipe the mizuage money from Une, then make her escape from the country, but the woman had brilliantly outsmarted her. She didn't want to anger Treize like she did Une; so she was going to do what she had to, and then she would be gone.

"Kayoko," said Hilde beside her, "Why don't you just tell them what they want to hear? Then you can leave."

"I can't tell you anything," Dorothy said, "And stop calling me Kayoko."

Hilde was taken aback by Dorothy's temper, but she couldn't help it. It was all too much, even for her to handle. She had to start thinking of things to tell them, just so they would let her go.

"Kayoko, I mean, Dorothy," Hilde said, "Just tell them something!"

"If you tell us something good, then you can leave" Duo said with a grin on his face.

"You'll let me go will you?" she said.

"As long as it's something that we can use," Duo repeated.

She eyed him, not believing a word that came out of him mouth.

"It can't be that easy," she said.

"You think we're lying to you?"

"I think that you'll do whatever one can to get what you want."

Duo chuckled at her. "You didn't answer the question," he said with a mocking smile. Dorothy scowled at him.

"Stop stalling," Sally chimed.

Perturbed that Sally didn't let the conversation stray, Dorothy sighed. She recanted and decided that she would tell them things, just not the whole truth. She wasn't a liar, but she wasn't an open book either. She had to keep her own interests paramount.

"Fine," she said as she wiggled to get more comfortable, "I'll tell you what I know, but it isn't much."

"Just don't give us a load of bull," said Duo.

"I'll tell you what I can," Dorothy said, becoming rather annoyed with him.

"Just make sure that you tell us everything."

Hilde sighed angrily as she snapped her head towards Duo.

"If she says that she'll tell you what she knows then she will! So shut up and listen!" she said.

A muted, surprised air fell over the room. Everyone looked at Hilde with astonishment; Duo's mouth had seemingly dropped to the floor. Dorothy was taken aback, but glad that Hilde yelled at the idiot, he had to be put in his place by someone.

"Thank you," Dorothy said to Hilde, "Well, Une kept me in the dark mostly, but she made it clear that it was my job to steer dear Aikyou in a certain direction."

"What?" Hilde said, butting in, "Is that why you were so cruel to her? You actually had a role in this?"

Despite Hilde's protests, Dorothy ignored her and continued talking.

"What 'direction' were you supposed to steer her to?" Sally asked.

"Treize Khushrenada," she said shortly.

The room was silent with another pause. It wasn't what they were expecting, but it seemed sufficient enough so that Dorothy didn't have to give more information.

"Why would Mother want to steer her towards Khushrenada?" Hilde asked.

Dorothy cursed at the girl inside her head. She didn't want anyone turning the conversation in a direction she didn't want it to go.

"Une wanted her to become infatuated with Khushrenada, so it would be that much easier for him to become her _danna_." she said.

"Therefore he could have as much control over her as he wanted," Quatre said. Dorothy nodded in agreement.

"His money pays for her lifestyle, there is no way she goes against him," Wufei added, "It becomes much easier for him trick her into a deadly situation."

"Jesus, what a mess," Duo mumbled to himself.

Dorothy smiled sarcastically at them all. "Money is everything in Gion," she said.

"But Relena isn't like that! She would never let herself be swayed by money. Aikyou, maybe, but not Relena," said Hilde.

"If she thought she loved him, who knows what she might have done?" Dorothy said, refuting Hilde's statement. "But something went wrong. I don't know what happened, but her attidute towards Treize changed, and she focused on Yuy."

Duo sputtered in surprise. "She's in love with Heero?" he exclaimed.

"Oh, who knows?" Dorothy said as she faced Duo, "Last time I talked to her about _mizuage_ patrons, she tried to throw me off by saying you were her top bidder."

"What!" Duo yelled.

"So what she told you was a lie?" Hilde asked.

Dorothy turned to Hilde and looked her in the eye. "Yes, it was a lie; she lies quite eloquently."

She watched how the girl's face changed from surprise to what looked like hope. Dorothy almost had to laugh. People were really quite amusing.

"Well that is some information," Sally said, "Now how about telling us where Khushrenada planned on taking Relena, Heero, and Catherine?"

"I told you all I know. So let me leave," Dorothy said.

Her captors looked between each other, unsure of letting her go. They were either very stupid or very cunning, at this point, she couldn't tell.

Sally nodded to Wufei, who released Dorothy from gun point. He stood up and gave her a menacing stare before making his way across the room and sitting behind Sally.

"You can go," Sally said simply.

Not believing them for one second, Dorothy took her chance. She grabbed hold of Hilde's kimono sleeve and dragged her over to the door. Every one of her opponents jumped up, yelling their protests. Wufei was quick to come after her, but she pulled out the little pistol she had hidden in her obi. She was very glad that she took it from Une's room.

"Stop!" she said, "You assured me I could leave."

"Yeah, but bringing her along wasn't part of the agreement!" Duo said as he pointed at Hilde.

She smirked at him. It didn't matter; she had already made up her mind a while ago that she wasn't leaving the building without Hilde.

"What are you doing?" Hilde asked.

Dorothy ignored her and addressed the people in the room.

"Did you think that I would leave my sister here with you people?" she said snidely.

Wufei scowled at her as he spoke. "She is not you sister."

"She is in ceremony!" Dorothy snapped back.

"Come off it, Dorothy. I know you don't give a damn about those things," Sally said.

"I'm not leaving here without my sister," Dorothy said slowly. She had the pistol up in front of herself and Hilde, warding off her attackers.

Duo began to approach them slowly and reached his hand out.

"You only have one bullet Dorothy," he said, "Let Hilde go."

"Come one step closer and I'll shoot you," Dorothy hissed, "My aim is fantastic."

He stopped his approach at her words. Glaring at her hard, he balled his fists at his side.

Dorothy spared no time and backed her way out of the room, Hilde still in tow. They were still advancing on her, but she think that she had a good chance of getting out now.

As soon as they both crossed the threshold to the room, she made a mad dash down the hallway, stairs, and out onto the street. She completely forgot about slippers or shoes. Hilde was screaming at her, but she wasn't listening. They had to get away from the building so there would be no chance of someone following them.

She was so close to becoming a free woman.

。。。。

Sally watched as Dorothy ran out of the room, dragging Hilde along with her. Duo, Quatre, and Wufei began to chase her, but Sally stopped them as quick as she could.

"They'll get away!" Duo said.

"I know," she replied, "I'm counting on it. Calm down and get back in here."

They composed themselves at her words and came back into the room.

"Duo and Wufei, tail them, but be quiet about it," she said, "I'm sure that Dorothy will run straight to Khushrenada, followed or not. Wufei, you keep close tabs on Khushrenada. Quatre, see if you can track down Trowa; help him get Catherine to a proper doctor, a safe doctor."

They all nodded, acknowledging their orders.

"What about you?" Wufei asked.

"I will find an escape route. We may all need to leave the country before long," she replied.

Within seconds they were off in all different directions. They were coming close to the end of their mission.

。。。。

Ooh! I'm a bad author! Bad! This had come out far too late! I've hit a rather bad spot of writer's block; I know where I want the story to go, I just can't find a way to get there!

Like stated above, I've moving to Japan for a year, so check my profile for more information.

But worry not, loyal readers, we are almost done with this fic. I estimate about three or four chapters more (not including this one), So I'll be a good author and try to crank out these last few chapters. Stay with me to the end, please!


	15. chapter 15

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Wing or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden or anything related to either of them (except my plot!).

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 15

。。。。

The _Akai Hana_ was just the kind of inn that the shop keeper said it was. It was dingy, dirty, and full of questionable inhabitants. Relena couldn't help but recoil every time she came close to touching a wall or another person. She wasn't trying to be snooty; she just wasn't used to being in such a place after living in luxury for so long.

It was the same issue as when she had gotten dressed earlier that morning. The wife of the benevolent farmer had to come in and show her how to tie an obi because she didn't know how to do it for herself. The little girl laughed at her; and she had to admit, it was a ridiculous scene.

The fact of the matter was that since she was a geisha, there wasn't much that she had to do for herself, in the way of personal hygiene and up-keep. Everything was done for her; most times, she even needed a maid or another geisha to help her go to the bathroom in her stiff and bulky kimono.

Now, she was dressed just like everyone else, and had to help herself, just like everyone else; if that meant living in dingy inns, then that is what she would do.

It didn't seem to bother Heero, however; she didn't think it would. He easily entered the inn and asked for a room in a way that didn't put him up for questions. He handed over the money for payment, got back the appropriate change, and waited for a maid to lead then to their room.

"This way please," said a girl in a uniform kimono. Her face was pleasant, but the kimono was dirty, just like the inn.

Relena forced herself not to judge as she and Heero followed the maid to a room on the ground floor.

It was small, but she was used to living in cramped spaces. Despite the impeccable upkeep of the okiya, the rooms were small and crowded. They bowed their thanks and dismissed the maid.

As soon as the door was closed, Relena went to the window and slid it open a bit. It was late in the afternoon, but the street was busy as it was in the morning. Ordinary people mixed with off-duty soldiers milled around looking at shops and eating at food stands.

"What do Khushrenada's soldiers look like?" she asked Heero who was sitting across the room.

"I'm not sure," he said, "But I think they wear green military suits."

She looked over her shoulder to glance him. He was hunched over a piece of paper, scratching away at it with a pencil.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Writing a note," he said simply.

She sighed, annoyed with him. Couldn't he answer a question with more than a few words? Both of their frustrations were becoming more apparent as time went on. She could even see Heero becoming restless as the day began to turn to night. There was tension in the air, everywhere they went.

His movement caught her eye as he stood up. He folded up the paper and put it and the pencil inside his robe.

"I'm going to go deliver this note," he said and walked over to her. "Don't open the window," he said and snapped the window closed. "And don't draw any unnecessary attention to yourself."

He finished his sentence by giving her a stern look before heading towards the door.

She wanted to talk to him, to ask him so many questions; but he kept walking away every time she decided to ask him something. He would either change the subject or a dilemma would come up, pushing her questions to the back of her head.

Not this time though. She grasped his kimono and didn't let him walk any further. Surprised, he looked down at her. It was barely there, but she could see how confused he was.

"What…?" he muttered.

"You're going to walk away, when we finally have time to rest?" she said.

He frowned as he looked at her. "We don't have any time, Relena. I have to deliver this note."

"To whom?" she asked.

He reached down for her hand and tried to pry it off his robes. She wouldn't be shut down, and she wouldn't let him walk away.

"We don't have time for this," he said.

"Who is we?" she asked, becoming more irritated. She sensed that he wanted to talk to her as well, but something was holding him back, was he afraid?

"I don't have time for this," he said, restating his sentence. "I'm serious."

"So am I!" she said, "I'm tired of being dead weight, and of being an object. If this is all happening because of me, I want to know every detail. I want to know what's going on. I want to be in control of my own life. Please, indulge me."

He eyed her for a second, as if he was looking for a way out, before giving up and sitting next to her. He sighed to himself as he sat, which irritated her even more.

"You want to talk about the boy on the train car," he said bluntly.

She was slightly taken aback by his frankness, but glad that he cut right to the topic instead of dancing around it, like a geisha would.

"I don't appreciate you running away from this conversation," she said, deciding to go along with being blunt.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I only want to explain myself."

He was silent as he let her speak, though she didn't know how to continue. What could she say? How could she possibly explain the words that were exchanged between her and Hiroto?

"I shouldn't have let my guard down to a stranger; I only wanted to calm him down, and get that gun out of my face."

"It was an appropriate thing for you to do in that situation," he said.

She closed her eyes in frustration, and then stared him down. "You won't ask me about what I said."

He was silent again, afraid to answer her, and she was surprised to see, he was afraid to look at her. His gaze went to his lap the moment she spoke.

"Why won't you ask me?" she said. He was still silent. "Don't ignore the problem."

His eyes immediately surfaced and looked at her. He was frowning; had she finally provoked him into talking?

"I don't have to ask about anything, because there isn't a problem," he said calmly.

Surprised again, she quickly countered him. "No problem? What are you-"

"I see no problem. There is nothing to ask, nor anything to say," he said, "I must deliver this note, before it's too late."

She watched him get up from his spot and cross the room as fast as he could. He was walking away, again. Was there no way to get through to him? There was a wall around him, with secrets and more walls behind it. What was this man?

Looking back at the window, an image flashed in her head of Khushrenada's cherry blossom party. She remembered when she saw her brother with Kayumi, and how she let herself cry in front of Heero. He was never uncomfortable with her crying, but even then he held himself back. He was so afraid.

"You're such a coward," she said.

He stopped in his tracks and turned back to her. She guessed he had never been so blatantly insulted before.

"You're so scared," she continued, "What are you afraid is going to happen?"

He cleared his throat and shot her a deadly glare, enough to freeze her with fear.

"There are a lot of people out to kill you," he said, "It is my job to ensure that doesn't happen. I don't have room to think about what I'm afraid of. I have to act, so my fears don't come to life."

"But why? Why do you have to live like this?" she asked. She didn't understand how he could shut everything out. "Are you afraid of truly living?"

He glared harder at her; she could tell that he was becoming very angry. "Truthful living, what is that?" he said, "The truth is that if I don't do my job, you will die. I can't sit and talk with you about romance and ridiculous conversations that you had with Khushrenada's underling, because I have to keep you alive."

She averted her eyes, hurt beyond belief at his words. So this is what he thought of her, a ridiculous little girl. She couldn't believe it. Before she could stop herself, she went after him again.

"Then why don't you just let me die?" she asked.

She immediately regretted saying it. She knew he didn't appreciate the way the question trapped him, she could tell by the hesitation he had to answer. It was a horrible position to put him in.

"Because there are people in this world that would be devastated if I did," he said, cunningly avoiding her question, "And, because, you are too good a person."

He didn't wait for her reply; instead he swiftly left the room, snapping the door shut behind him, leaving her all alone.

Why? She wondered. Why would he say such scathing things then tell her that she was too good of a person to die? He was a complicated person, more than she first thought. She dared to think that she would never come to know his depths. He confused her so much; she just didn't know what to do.

So she began to cry. Not because of his hurtful words, but because she was so ashamed that she ever thought she could gain his heart.

。。。。

"Dorothy, where are we going?" Hilde asked as she was pulled down the street.

"We must find a safe haven, away from those idiots!" Dorothy replied.

She was referring to Duo and the others. Hilde took a slight offense at the comment; she didn't think that they were idiots.

"I thought we were safe back there," she said.

"Oh, you're so naive!"

She took offense to that too. Dorothy wasn't in the best mood, nor was Hilde. She still couldn't believe that they rushed out of the apartment building like that, and in their _tabi_ socks no less! Not only did her feet sting with pain every step she took, but they got the most peculiar looks from the people they passed. They were also gaining the attention of soldiers as they went, which was something that Sally warned them of.

"Hurry!" Dorothy said as she began to walk faster.

"No," Hilde yelled and tugged to stop Dorothy. "My feet hurt! I can't keep going with out shoes!"

"Oh stop your blubbering, will you? My god, you're more annoying than Aikyou!"

Hilde huffed angrily and threw her arms in the air. "Why do you always have to be so mean?" she said. She was really fed up with Dorothy and the way she teased everyone.

"Please, I'm only trying to help you!" Dorothy retorted.

"Help me? I think it would have been better to stay safe with Duo and the others!"

"You would like that, wouldn't you?"

She scoffed as she took the abuse. "What is it with you? You're not happy unless you're making someone miserable!"

Dorothy glared at her, "Your stupidity astounds me," she said.

Close to blowing up, Hilde spat back an equally mean thing, and took more verbal attacks from her "sister". Both girls were too wrapped up in their argument to notice a host of soldiers approach them.

"Ladies," said one of them, who appeared to be the leader.

They immediately became silent at the sight of the soldiers. Hilde cursed at herself for getting carried away with Dorothy.

The soldiers eyes then warily and looked them up and down. They were dressed in green military pants and jackets. Each of them had a rifle in hand and a pistol on their belt.

"Loose your shoes?" the leader asked with a grin.

Dorothy laughed along with him and turned on her charm. Hilde rolled her eyes; this was no time to be acting like a silly girl.

"Oh officer, you must help us! We have come all the way from Kyoto in hopes of finding our older sister's _danna_, but we're completely lost!" she said, using her damsel in distress act.

"So you're geisha?" he said, "Don't really see your type much anymore here. What's the name of your sister's _danna_?"

By the look on Dorothy's face, Hilde could tell that she was scheming again. Of course the soldier couldn't tell the difference; he played right into her hands.

"His name is Lord Treize Khushrenada. Do you know where he is?" she said.

The soldiers reacted with astonishment, gasping at the sound of the name. Mortified, Hilde grabbed onto Dorothy's sleeve and spun her around to face her. She hissed at her in a quiet voice, trying to block the soldiers from hearing.

"You say I'm stupid! Sally warned us of Khushrenada! She said he is dangerous!"

"That's what she wants you to think!" Dorothy said and turned back to the soldiers. "He summoned us from Kyoto, but we got lost on the train platform! Is there anyway you can help us?"

"You're really looking for Lord Khushrenada?" said the leader.

Dorothy eagerly nodded. The soldier smiled.

"We're part of Lord Khushrenada's guard. He told us that he was looking for two geisha," he said.

"Oh, how lucky we are!" Dorothy exclaimed as she turned to Hilde.

"Well, follow us," said the soldier as he motioned to them, "We'll take you to Lord Khushrenada.

"But," started Dorothy as she kept her ground. "We couldn't possibly go to him looking like this! We must find a place to freshen up!"

"That's fine, you can clean up when we get there," he said and moved towards her. Dorothy backed up.

"Oh, but our older sister told us to always look our best, I won't go until I am clean!" she said.

The soldier sighed and looked to his companions for their opinion. They spoke in hushed voices. Meanwhile, Hilde latched on to her again and spun her around to face her.

"What are you doing?" she hissed at her.

"Shut-up," Dorothy said and watched as the soldiers finished talking, and turned back to them.

"All right, we'll go over to the closest inn and you can…freshen up," he said and looked them up and down again.

Both the girls bowed their thanks, Dorothy bowed lower that she should have, but the soldiers seemed to be very pleased that she was honoring them so. Hilde rolled her eyes again, annoyed with her companion's antics. She certainly knew how to twist others to her will.

They were lead down the streets, across intersections, asking all along they way where the nearest inn was. Most people didn't know or tried their best to avoid soldiers.

"Tell me where the nearest inn," one of the soldiers said as the rest of them surrounded a random woman.

"It's just up the street a little more," the frightened woman said, "It's called the _Akai Hana_. It is cheap, but shabby."

The soldier nodded and began to walk in the direction the woman directed. "That's fine, come this way geisha," he said and pulled at Hilde and Dorothy.

Hilde glanced at Dorothy and her smirk was still there. She had to wonder, if Dorothy was so keen on seeing Khushrenada, there was no reason to be caught up on looking good; and Kayumi was never said all the things that Dorothy said she did. Hilde was getting sick of watching Dorothy weave her way in and out of every situation.

She was really quite tired with everything and everyone around her. She had no control over anything that happened to her; it was irritating.

"This must be it," she heard a soldier say.

She followed his voice and turned to look up at the _Akai Hana_. Dorothy moaned behind her.

The _Akai Hana_ was exactly what the woman said it was, cheap and shabby. She was sure that Dorothy had something a little cleaner in mind.

To her surprise, however, Dorothy led the way and approached the inn.

"This will do, I suppose," she said and grabbed Hilde's arm.

"What…" she began, "Dorothy, did you look at this place? It's a dump!"

Dorothy ignored her as she brought her into the entrance foyer of the inn. A maid greeted them, took their money, and went off to find a suitable room for them.

"If you are patient, I'll tell you what I'm planning," she whispered.

Eager to learn of Dorothy's true intentions, Hilde was quiet for the moment. She still didn't trust her, though; she just wanted to know what the hell was going on.

"Will this be enough then?" a soldier asked.

Dorothy nodded. "Yes, thank you. If you would be so kind to wait for us, I'm sure we won't be too long."

The soldier paused as he thought over her request. "We'll wait, but not too long. Don't keep Lord Khushrenada waiting."

They bowed to them before walking further into the inn's hallways. Dorothy began to look around for someone or something, occasionally glanced back towards the soldiers waiting outside the inn.

"Foolish soldiers, they don't realize they're just pawns. Now where is that maid?" she said, craning her neck to look over the heads of people that surrounded them.

"What are you planning, Dorothy?" Hilde asked, "I'm done with being in the dark, tell me now."

She wasn't listening to her, however. Instead, she was looking beyond Hilde's shoulder at something that was apparently more interesting than what she was saying.

"Are you even listening to me?" Hilde asked, irritated. Being ignored was making her angrier by the minute.

Though before she could do anything, Dorothy latched on to her arms and pulled her to an alcove off to the side which was surrounded by people. She almost tripped over herself as she followed Dorothy.

"Ouch! What is wrong with you?" she exclaimed.

"Shh! Turn this way!" Dorothy hissed and faced the alcove, huddling to make her self smaller.

People passed behind them, going every which way. Dorothy's attention was focused on one man, however. Hilde watched him walk past the crowd they were hidden in and out the inn entrance. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of him.

"Heero Yuy!" she said, "I thought Khushrenada had him hostage!"

Beside her, Dorothy looked after him in astonishment; a smile appeared on her face again.

"He must have escaped," she said.

"Yes, but how?" said Hilde, "And what about Megumi and Relena?"

Suddenly, Dorothy turned back to her and gripped her shoulders in excitement.

"Do you know what this means?" she asked. Hilde frowned. "He wouldn't go anywhere without Relena, she has to be here, in this inn!"

"We should find her, and then we can escape!" she said to Dorothy.

"No, she will go to Khushrenada with me," she said, and continued before Hilde could protest. "You stay here, as bait. I'm sure Sally has her idiots following us."

"You can't bring her to Khushrenada, he's after her life!"

"He is after her parents, her parents!"

"You don't think he'll kill her too? I've seen and heard too many things to trust Khushrenada."

Dorothy sighed and shook Hilde as she spoke. "Who do you want to believe, Hilde? You think you can trust Sally and her group of minions?"

"They haven't done anything bad; and they've stopped you from doing many stupid things."

"Oh please, they're all idiots!" Dorothy said, coming very close to yelling outright.

Hilde shook herself from Dorothy's grasp and glared at her furiously. "You were going to steal a car, and you don't even know how to drive one!"

"Your room is ready," said the maid who had re-appeared at their side.

They both snapped their heads to face her, and then they looked back at each other. Silently, they agreed to continue their argument in privacy.

The maid led them down the hallway as quick as she could in her tattered _tabi_ socks and dirty kimono. Hilde looked at her from behind, trying to think of a way to outsmart Dorothy. She didn't know why Khushrenada wanted to kill Relena and her parents, she didn't know why Dorothy wanted to bring Relena to him, but she wasn't going to help deliver Relena to her death.

The room they were given was small, with no windows. Hilde sighed at her luck.

"If you need anything, please let me know," said that maid and closed the door behind her as she left.

"Now, you tell what the hell you are scheming," Hilde said as she turned to Dorothy to continue their debate. She stopped when she saw what Dorothy had in her hand. Her mouth, once again, dropped open. "Where did you get that gun?" she exclaimed.

"Oh, one of the soldiers gave it to me," Dorothy replied nonchalantly as she played with a military issued pistol. "I understand that you're very confused and angry at the moment, but I have things to do, and you are holding me back."

"What are you going to do Dorothy, shoot me?" Hilde asked nervously. She backed up a few steps, though she didn't really see how she was going to get out of this one.

"I don't have the authority to kill you. That is reserved for someone else."

The words burned in her mind, the authority to kill her? Was she slated to die?

"You're crazy!" Hilde said to her.

Dorothy shook her head as she came closer and closer to her prey. "No, just desperate."

Before she could stop her, Dorothy flipped the gun around in her hand hit Hilde over the head as hard as she could with the butt. There was no time for her to do anything, there wasn't even time for her to scream a curse at Dorothy, something that she had been wanted to do for the longest time.

Everything turned to black, and she still had to wonder, was she going to die?

。。。。

Her eyes felt swollen from the tears, she was sure that her face was red. Her nose was running. She was always a horrible crier. If she didn't control herself at the beginning, then she always fell to sobbing and gasping. She supposed she was glad Heero wasn't present to see her like this.

She began to cry again at the thought of Heero. Wiping at her eyes with a handkerchief, she sighed at herself, she thought she had finished with crying.

As she pulled at her eyes with the handkerchief again, the door slid open. At first she thought it was Heero coming back from delivering his message; she tried to compose herself up as fast as she could. Though, it wasn't Heero. It was Kayoko.

"Kayoko!" she exclaimed, completely at a loss for words, "What, I don't understand."

"Oh Aikyou!" she said and rushed to her side. "I was so worried about you! After I saw what happened at the tea house, I, why Aikyou, you've been crying!"

Relena looked away, still in shock at Kayoko being in Tokyo, in the same inn as her.

"It's nothing," Relena said, "What are you doing here? Is Khushrenada after you too?"

Kayoko shrugged. "I don't know. But I was out for the night when I saw what he did to you and Megumi-san, how awful! I was so worried that he did something horrible to you!"

"You were worried about me?" Relena said, almost laughing. "Don't insult me."

"Aikyou, I'm sorry that I have been so mean to you. I just never knew what kind of web that I was trapped in."

Relena turned back to her, shooting a confused look her way.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

Inching closer to her, Kayoko lowered her voice. "You wouldn't believe the things I overheard. Kayumi and Mother are in a scheme together! Something about your parents and the war in Europe, I couldn't make much sense of it."

She perked up at the mention of her parents. "Kayoko, you learned this through a conversation between Mother and Kayumi?"

Kayoko nodded and gripped onto Relena's arm.

"I heard them talking, I heard them say where your parents are."

That was enough to keep her attention; it was enough for her to forget what Heero told her.

She grabbed Kayoko by the arms and shook her.

"Where, Kayoko, where are they!" she said sternly.

Kayoko gently touched her hand, releasing herself from Relena's grip. She looked her in the eye and smiled at her.

"I can take you there," she said in a low tone.

Heero said not to go anywhere; he said not to look out the window and not to draw any attention to herself. With Kayoko's record, Relena was reluctant to trust her, but if what she said was true, then her parents were in the city, and within her reach. Kayoko knew where they were, and Heero knew nothing. It was worth the gamble.

In the back of her mind, it seemed stupid, but she wasn't one to stay put when she could take control of a situation.

"Okay," she said and nodded at Kayoko.

Kayoko grinned happily.

。。。。

She didn't know what time it was when she woke up, but the room was dark, and Dorothy was nowhere to be found.

"Damn her," she mumbled to herself.

The immense pain that was coming from the side of her head was unbearable. Feeling around, she found a patch of wet matted hair. On examining her hand closer, she saw that there was blood. Her head was bleeding. She cursed again, just her luck.

She took her time sitting up and wondered where she could go from there. She still didn't have any shoes, or new socks. Stuck in a dingy inn, she decided that the gods must hate her.

Behind her, the door began to slide open, in the doorway stood a man. She couldn't make out his face in the darkness. He looked menacing, not someone that she wanted to get involved with. Was he here to kill her? Had Dorothy sent him?

"Who are you?" she asked sternly.

Instead of answering, then man walked into the room. To her surprise, he was followed by a woman and several other men.

"Who are you?" she repeated. They began to close in on her, reminding her of how Dorothy stalked her before knocking her out. "Don't come any closer! Don't touch me!" she yelled.

One of the men came forward and tried to take her arm. She hit his hand away as hard as she could. He recoiled and clutched his hand in pain. She had no intention of being hit, again.

"Jesus!" he hissed, "She's trying to take my hand off!"

The voice was familiar.

"Duo?" she said, hoping that her inkling was right.

The man in question brandished a flashlight and lit up his face.

"That's me," he said as he shook the hand she smacked. "God damn, woman; where'd you learn to hit like that?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she said and sat up, "I'm sorry! I thought you were trying to kill me!"

He waved it off, ignoring her apology. The flashlight was taken from him and aimed at the rest of the group. She gasped when she saw who it was.

Chang Wufei, Kayumi, and Marquise, Megumi's dresser, stood in front of her.

"Kayumi-san!" she said, "How, why are you here?"

"Shh, Hilde, please. You must be quieter," she said as she came to her side.

"And what are you doing with Megumi-san's dresser?"

Wufei came forward; his movements were deliberate yet troubled. "I saw Dorothy and another person walking away from the inn," he said, "We have to follow her."

"That must be Relena with her," Marquise said, "She's taking her to Treize."

Hilde jumped up at the mention of Relena and Khushrenada. She knew what he was going to do to her, she had to get there and stop him.

"Oh no! You have to stop them! It's Dorothy, she's crazy, Khushrenada wants to kill Relena!"

"Hilde, we know," Kayumi said.

"What? Then you have to hurry and stop them!"

Marquise waved at Wufei, who seemed to understand his meaning. In a few seconds, Wufei had walked out the door, presumably to follow Dorothy.

"Don't worry about Relena, she will be fine," said Kayumi.

Hilde furiously shook her head and grabbed onto Kayumi's collar. "What do you mean? They are going to kill her!"

"No, they won't. They aren't after her."

"What, what do you mean?" Hilde asked her. She turned to Duo. "You told me-"

"I was wrong," he said with regret.

Marquise came over to her and took her arm. "We can tell you, but we'll have to walk and talk."

It was all so confusing; there were so many twists and turns in the way things went. The situation became much more urgent that she ever thought it was. Before, she was angry with only Relena and the women she lived with. She thought they were the reason for all of her misfourtune; but now she could see that it wasn't true, at least partially untrue. Was Relena really innocent? She had wronged her only friend; it was what she saw now as a unforgivable mistake. She wanted to redeem herself to Relena; she didn't want her to die. If they made it through the night, she wanted them to be friends again. So she let Marquise and the others lead her out of the room, out of the inn, and onto the street.

。。。。

Outtake for Chapter 15:

_He waved it off, ignoring her apology. The flashlight was taken from him and aimed at the rest of the group. She gasped when she saw who it was._

_Chang Wufei, Kayumi, and Marquise, Megumi's dresser, stood in front of her._

_"Kayumi-san!" she said, "Where the hell have you been? I haven't seen you since Chapter 7!" _

Yes, once in a while, I have to indulge my silly fan girl side.

Yay, we're almost done, and I mean it this time; three more chapters, including an epilogue. I'm very excited, are you? Thanks for reading, please tell me what you think!


	16. chapter 16

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Wing or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden or anything related to either of them (except my plot!).

AN: I wanted to correct an error that I've made in the last couple chapters. I've given the impression that it only took about two days for Heero and Relena to get to Tokyo, when actually, it really should have taken at least three days, if not more. So I'm very sorry for the mistake.

Thanks to abr, The Al Bhed Princess and heaven'sgirl for reviewing!

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 16

。。。。

The night air was chilly, and her cotton kimono wasn't keeping her warm. Her exhaustion from walking briskly wasn't helping her well-being either. Kayoko was almost running through the streets of Tokyo, dodging the tangle of people, cars, and whatever else was out with them.

The noise, the people, they were pushed to the back of her mind. All she could think about was meeting her parents. She wanted to see their faces, hear their voices, and feel their touch. She was so consumed by the idea that logic had gone out the window.

She couldn't believe that they were so close. In a mere hour, she could touch them, hug them, and everything would be right in the world. Then, all they had to do was escape the country and go somewhere that was safe. Where she could finally just live, as a real person and not some object that people fought over.

_Don't draw any attention to yourself_.

She wasn't drawing attention to herself; not necessarily. That's what she told herself to keep from feeling guilty. She couldn't even begin to imagine how angry Heero would be, could be. But she had already made her decision, and she would have to deal with the ramifications later.

Following Kayoko was a stupid thing to do. It was common knowledge among the women of the Itoo okiya that Kayoko wasn't someone to place full trust in. In any other situation, she would never think of relying on Kayoko, but something told her that this time, she wasn't lying. Kayoko knew where Relena's parents were, she wasn't lying.

"How close are we?" she asked Kayoko who was trotting along ahead of her. They had been walking for such a long time, since before night fall.

"Not far," she replied, "I'm just taking a, how can I say, a roundabout way."

"Oh," was all Relena could think to say. It was a good idea, she supposed.

She wondered how she would react upon seeing them for the first time. She wondered what they looked like. When she was separated from them, she was far too young to remember anything. Was it her mother whom had blonde hair, her father, or both of them? From whom did she get her eyes? How would they react upon seeing her? Would they embrace her happily, or quietly accept her as their own? How was she going to communicate with them? They spoke German, and she spoke Japanese.

So many questions and worries ran through her head, keeping her from coming back to reality. All she could think about what that first meeting, and her life afterwards.

Was this her last night in Japan? Was this her last night as the geisha, Aikyou? She wondered if she would ever have the chance to go back to Gion, just to see it one last time, to see Hilde one last time.

She was gravely sorry that their friendship had gone to the wayside. She was angry with herself that she wasn't persuasive enough to have Megumi take Hilde under her wing as well. The horrified look on Hilde's face when she learned that Kayumi would be her older sister was something that had been burned into Relena's mind. It was one loose end that she didn't want to leave undone.

"What will happen to the others?" she asked Kayoko.

"What others?" Kaoko said as she relentlessly jogged down the street.

"Hilde and the others," Relena said, opting to leave Heero's name out of the conversation. "Will I get a chance to see them before I leave?"

Kayoko paused before speaking; Relena could tell that she was slightly confused.

"Before you leave? Where are you going?" she asked.

"Well, after meeting my parents, I assume they will want to leave the country, won't they? I mean, it isn't safe for them to be here."

"Oh, of course. Well, Aikyou, I wouldn't know," Kayoko sighed, "I only know where they are. I don't know what will happen afterwards."

Relena left it at that. No one was sure of anything she supposed. It pained her to think that she would never again see all the people she owed things to. There were so many things left undone, things unsaid.

By the look of the buildings, they were now in the modernized part of the city. The cobblestone streets were long and the neighborhood was laid out like a grid. Large western buildings and houses loomed behind the brick walls and iron fences. There were a few houses with lights on, but for the most part, it was as if the place were dead.

In front of her, Kayoko slowed to a cautious walk. Something was amiss.

"What is it?" Relena whispered.

Kayoko stopped and turned to look behind Relena. Her eyes narrowed and she frowned.

"We're being followed," she said so quietly, her voice was barely audible. "Damn them. I thought I was able to get away."

"Who?" asked Relena, but Kayoko didn't answer. She grabbed Relena's wrist and began to walk briskly.

"You see that building over there? The yellow one," she asked, but refused to point.

Relena strained her neck to look over Kayoko's head. She had to glance around for a few seconds before she spotted a two story yellow house with lights on in every room. A gentle tendril of smoke came out of the chimney in a continuous flow. There were people in there, she was sure, though she couldn't see anyone moving about.

"Yes, I see it," she said.

"That is the safe house that your parents were given," Kayoko said.

Relena took in a sharp breath, and sped up to walk beside Kayoko.

"Are you sure? They are in there now?" she asked. Kayoko nodded. "Oh," she said hopefully and quickened her pace towards the house.

"Aikyou," Kayoko said, trying to get her attention, but she wasn't listening anymore.

Wrenching her arm from Kayoko's grasp, she broke into a run towards the house. They were just a few strides away. What were they doing right now? Were they reading, drinking tea, were they sitting by the fire and talking about how much they missed their daughter?

So occupied by the thoughts of finally obtaining what she wanted, she didn't hear Kayoko screaming at her to run. She didn't see Wufei dart out from the shadows and grab Kayoko. She didn't even stop to wonder why men in green military suits didn't try to stop her from entering the house.

。。。。

He had an inkling that this would happen. In fact, he knew it for sure when he saw the two _zori_ left in the apartment; the two _zori_ only. Duo, Quatre, they were all gone; to where, he had no idea.

The room was bare; no tables, no furniture of any kind. Heero had bought out the apartment months earlier to serve as a safe house. Once they learned of where Treize had lured Relena's parents, Heero thought it best to have a place to serve as a headquarters, where they could all convene for meetings and such.

Duo and the others were supposed to be in the apartment. Before going to the teahouse to meet Catherine and Relena, Heero had Wufei, Duo, and Sally follow him, incase something happened. The procedure after that was to follow Treize, and convene in whatever city the man happened to go to; thus they were lead to Tokyo. They were supposed to be waiting for Heero to arrive at the apartment, and then decide what to do from there. However, no one was present.

It was obvious that something happened before he was able to get to the apartment. He couldn't think of what the problem was. Ever since the night he was taken prisoner by Treize, he had been out of the loop. He wasn't even sure if Duo had made it to Tokyo.

Whatever it was, he didn't have time to dawdle around, he decided. It had taken him a long time to walk to this side of the city, the sun had already set. Relena was alone at the inn, and he wasn't going to leave her unattended longer than he had to.

Stuffing his written note into his kimono sleeve, he quickly made his way back out of the room and out of the apartment building.

Urgency carried him through the streets, it made him run. He really didn't like the idea of leaving Relena at the inn, but he felt that bringing her with him would be too conspicuous. Although she had a rag to hide her hair, Relena looked far too different from the normal Japanese person. She drew attention anywhere she went.

She also brought plenty of tension into any conversation he had with her. It was as he had thought; she had attached herself to him for reasons other than him being a _mizuage_ patron. He had to admit, that he had somewhat attached himself to her. But unlike Relena, he couldn't talk about such things freely. He didn't let others know what he was thinking and feeling too easily.

She had an uncanny ability of bringing out the stronger feelings in him, which wasn't always a good thing. He snapped at her when he should have been more patient. He just didn't know how to deal with her. She was so open, and had a will like no other. He had the worst time trying to understand her.

He just hoped that she would heed his orders not to leave the inn, or even open the windows.

Turning the corner, he saw the inn across the street. Looking up to the second floor where their room was located, he was glad to see that the windows were closed.

He began to make his way towards the inn when he noticed thee soldiers dressed in green waiting just outside the door. They looked anxious, impatient, as if they were waiting for someone or something. He instantly knew that they were Treize's soldiers.

What were they waiting for?

He wondered if they had followed Relena and him to the inn, and were waiting for his return. They couldn't have found Relena yet, or else they would have taken her to Treize already.

What were they doing?

He cursed under his breath. If only Duo had been at the apartment.

He wasn't going to get in through the front, so he would just have to find another way through, he thought.

Crossing the street from where he was, he began to walk parallel to the inn and went around to the back side. He made sure to stay concealed in the crowd of people and merchant carts closing up shop and getting ready to go home.

He crossed the street again and came up to the side of the inn. Just above him was the room Relena was in. He was glad it was dark outside as he grabbed onto a drain pipe and began to scale the building wall. Reaching the base of the window, he looked down to make sure that no one was looking or passing by. He took the side of the window, slid it open, and silently slipped inside.

It was uncouth of him to be walking on a tatami mat with his dirty shoes on, but the circumstances were urgent.

Once again, he had an inkling that this would happen, and he was not at all pleased.

Relena was not in the room.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to think. The initial shock was enough to paralyze him for the minutest amount of time. She wasn't in the room. Where could she have gone? Why did she leave? Or was she taken against her will?

Looking around the room, the only thing left was the little sake cup that Relena bought, nothing else.

Suddenly, fear gripped him. He made a grave error in thinking that she would be all right by herself. Guilt set in. What had he done? He was so flustered by the barrage of questions and accusations, he felt he had to get out and get away. He had to find Duo anyway, he told himself. Though, that was a pretty poor excuse for skirting his responsibilities. It was up to him to make sure that she was safe. It was his job, his duty to make sure that no harm came to her.

And he had no idea where she was.

There was no sign of a struggle, which calmed him some. Then she must have gone voluntarily, he thought.

Why would she leave; when he had told her explicitly not to even open the window?

Looking back to the window he came through, Heero thought of Relena's face whenever she asked him about her parents. She would stare at him with a desperate look in her eyes and become silent as he spoke. He knew that inside, she was bubbling with excitement at the prospect of meeting them.

Then, anger overtook him. A hot wave flowed over him as things clicked in his head. It was obvious, he should have realized sooner. She had gone to find her parents. He didn't know if she was alone or with someone, but his feelings towards the problem would be the same nevertheless. She left when he told her not to, putting herself in more danger than he could ever manage to do. What he felt was unexplainable; a mixture of anxious fear and boiling anger.

He cursed again. There was no way for him to know what anyone was doing; and now he had no way to figure out where Relena went. Where could he start? Where in Tokyo could her parents be?

He decided to start with the Western Quarter. He couldn't imagine two well-to-do Germans crouching in a small Japanese inn. But just to make sure, he slipped back out the window and rounded the corner to see the guards there, still waiting. He wasn't going to go running around the Western Corner like a lost idiot.

As soon as the noticed him, they put up their guns and threatened to fire. He was much faster than that, of course. He needed information he knew they had.  
。。。。

"Lady, there have been some problems, yes?"

"I'm very sorry Lord Treize."

"No, don't be. There are so many factors involved; I can't expect you to be able to control everything."

"Thank you Lord Treize."

"Now, what is the state of things?"

"Dorothy is in the city, and I expect her to contact you soon. I lost track of Noin. She ran out of the okiya a few days ago, and I suspect she is with Zechs. As to the whereabouts of Sally and the rest of them, I can't tell."

"Thank you Lady. I have Catherine with me. I expect Barton is somewhere close. I dare say the little ruse you made of Sally's death didn't quite work out as you hoped."

"No sir, I'm sorry."

"Like I said before, Lady, don't be sorry."

"Thank you my Lord."

"Was there anything else?"

"What of Yuy? I heard he jumped from the train with the girl."

"Yes, a most unfortunate turn. I can't know more until Dorothy comes to me. I hope she doesn't fail."

"She won't my Lord. For her sake, she had better not."

。。。。

Wufei tightened his grip on Dorothy's arm. She winced with pain, perhaps putting on some show, but he didn't care. He'd wanted to do this for some time.

"Get your goddamn hands off me!" she hissed, making sure to keep quiet.He kept a firm grip on her and looked to the house that Relena just disappeared into. "That's the house, isn't it?" he said. Dorothy didn't answer. "Fine," he continued, "It doesn't matter anyway, since we're going in after her."

Dorothy threw a scowl his way and tried wrenching her arm from him. "What good will that do?" she asked, "Things have already been set in motion; and there is no way for you to stop them."

"It's not my job to do that anymore. I'm just to make sure you don't interfere in our plans," he said and began to pull her towards the house. She refused, however, and tried to walk off in a different direction. Wufei wasn't having any of it.

"Don't make me work any harder than I have to, Dorothy," he said mockingly.

She laughed at him and stopped her struggle. Looking him in the eye she grinned condescendingly.

"I hope you know you've been chasing after the wrong person all this time. By this point in the game, I should be the least of your problems," she said. She stuck up her nose at him and sighed. "Of course, a lowly, yellow lap dog can only do what he is told."

He frowned, not appreciating her sentiment. He gripped her arm harder, and pushed her against the nearest wall.

"Please, enlighten me then. Tell me what a stupid Chinese lap dog wouldn't know," he said. She didn't look frightened the least bit, but she did look surprised, which he took great pleasure in.

"I haven't the slightest idea of what you are talking about," she said with the slightest air of condecention.

"I can tolerate ignorance, just barely. An ignorant person is merely a stupid person, one that needs to be properly educated," he said, pushing her father into the wall "What I can't stand, however, are those that know better, yet they feign ignorance, just to get a rise out of others."

Pushing against him, she let out a groan. "The wall isn't going to absorb me, you know," she said.

He gazed at her for a few moments, entertaining the idea of trying to _make_ the wall absorb her, but he eventually let up some of the pressure.

"Don't push me," he said. She scoffed at him, but was silent as they began their way towards the yellow house.

He didn't know what to expect, all he knew was that Relena was in the house, and somehow, she had escaped from Trieze, and slipped out from under Heero's watchful eye. It was no mystery that Heero had made the escape plans, but he was astounded that she was able to manipulate Heero.

He sighed as he pushed Dorothy towards the house. Behind the tall cast-iron fence, two guards were standing in front of the door, with guns, having a casual conversation. Sighing again, he took out his sword. Twisting her arm behind her back, he held the end of his sword against her neck. Dorothy protested, of course.

"Is that really necessary?" she asked.

"All I need is a little cooperation," he said.

"How can one respond to that?" she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Instead of answering, he jerked her towards the house.

The guards didn't notice them until they came out from behind the fence, and began to approach the house. Wufei wasn't surprised at all to see them come to attention and raise their guns.

"Stop there!" the one on the right yelled.

Wufei didn't stop; instead he continued walking and tested their sense of duty. The guards didn't know who to aim their guns at, him or Dorothy.

"Stop!" the other one yelled, "Stop or I'll shoot!"

Dorothy squirmed beneath his hold, but he kept it tight. No matter what happened, he had to get in the house and catch up to Relena.

"Tell them to put their guns down," he said in her ear.

She sighed, but stopped squirming. "Put the guns down," she shouted, but the guards wouldn't take orders from her.

"Stop right there!" the first on yelled. Wufei held the sword closer to Dorothy's neck, threatening to cut her open.

"Put the guns down, now!" she yelled.

"We can't take orders from anyone but Lord Khushrenada," he said.

"You idiot! I am Kayoko, geisha of the Itoo okiya, servant to Lady Une! Put you damn guns down and let us pass!" she screamed. Wufei was rather pleased, she was cooperating much more that he thought she would.

"Lady Une," the second one said, "That's Lord Khushrenada's woman."

The guards seemed to take notice of Dorothy's words, but the first one wouldn't give in.

"His woman or not, we don't take orders from her. We will only follow orders sent by Lord Khushrenada himself."

This didn't satisfy Wufei at all. He pressed the blade closer to Dorothy's neck to let her know.

"Put the guns on the ground," she said. He pressed the blade further into her neck. "And put your hands above your head, now!"

The first guard shook his head and instead of doing what she asked, he kept his gun up. "When Lord Khushrenada tells me to disarm, I will do so," he said.

"You idiots!" she yelled again, followed by some choice curse words. "This man is slicing my neck open!"

Wufei sighed, so much for being discreet. Glancing around, he was glad to see that the lights were still off in the surrounding houses.

The guards were getting more and more agitated by Dorothy's yelling, and he could see that their solution wasn't going to be favorable to him. He took action.

He retracted the sword and abruptly pushed Dorothy towards the guards, stunning them in the process. He twisted the sword in his hand and quickly struck both the soldiers in the neck. Before they knew what had happened, they were slumped together on the ground, pinning Dorothy under them. She made no attempt to keep her discomfort quiet.

"What are you thinking?" she hissed as she struggled beneath the combined weight of the guards.

Wufei effortlessly shoved them off her with his foot. He grabbed her arm and hoisted her up. "Since you couldn't get control of them, I was forced to get rid of them."

She lightly gasped at him. "You didn't," she said in a low tone.

"Of course not," he replied, "I hit them with the blunt side of the blade. Now, Dorothy, if you will," he said as he put the sword back to her neck and pushed her towards the door.

"Oh," he said and began to put his hand down her _obi_.

"Mr. Chang!" she said, alarmed. "I didn't know you enjoyed this sort of thing."

"Don't flatter yourself," Wufei said and pulled a military issued gun out of her obi. "I was only looking for this. You really thought I wouldn't notice this thing bulging out of your _obi_?"

She sighed to herself and walked forward. "Men," she muttered.

Wufei almost grinned; almost.

。。。。

Hilde refused to be pushed. Although she was aware of the situation, she didn't want to leave things as they were, she wasn't going to allow things to continue on their current course.

She struggled against Duo and Marquise, who were trying to get her to hurry down a street somewhere in Tokyo. She put up a great fight, dragging her feet, wrenching her arms from their hands, only to be captured again and again. Ahead them, Kayumi was leading the way.

"Hilde, please," said Duo beside her. She tried to smack his advancing hand away, but he smartly dodged her.

"Let me go," she hissed, "We can't just escape like this! What about Relena?"

"There are people working on it," he replied simply.

"Working on it?" she sputtered, "How can you be so…secure about all of this? You said that Kayoko, or Dorothy, or whoever she is, you said that she is with Relena. That girl is crazy! You have to stop her!"

Marquise sharply pulled her forward, making her trip over herself. She threw him an angry look that was wasted in the darkness. Once again she fought against them.

"Relena isn't the one in danger," Kayumi said.

"No!" said Hilde and stopped in her tracks, only to be pulled forward and trip over herself again. "Relena is in danger."

"Hilde," Duo started, but she wouldn't let him speak.

"Kayo-, I mean, Dorothy said she was desperate, she will do anything Khushrenada tells her to do, and if that means killing Relena, she will do it!"

"We know that," Marquise said. It was the first he had spoken in a while. "Trust us when we say that we have people looking for Dorothy and Relena. We are trying to stop Treize, we are trying to save lives. We do not take any of this lightly."

Hilde sighed to herself. "She has a pistol," she said, "A small, one-bullet pistol, in her _obi_."

They all stopped walking and turned to look at her, their faces showing surprise and fear.

"She has a pistol?" Duo repeated. Hilde nodded.

"It's very small," she said, "So it's not very noticeable. If she finds a reason to use it, she won't hesitate."

Duo looked to Marquise, who looked to Kayumi, who in turn looked back to Duo. She hoped they were contemplating a change in their plans.

"Please," she said, "We have to go back and get Relena out of there."

"Hilde," Duo said quietly, "You do realize what you are asking?"

She nodded. "I don't care what they do to me; I can't let things end like this. Relena and I, we, after everything that's happened, I can't leave my friend in danger, I won't."

"They aren't after her, Hilde," Kayumi said, "If you go, they will kill you, not her."

"No," Hilde said, shaking her head. "They will kill anyone who knows the truth. And besides," she continued, "I want to see their faces too, my parents."

。。。。

Relena ran though the halls, checking every room as she went. She couldn't control her breathing, she felt light headed. Her palms were sweating, her whole body was sweating. Her face felt hot, and suddenly her thin cotton kimono was stifling.

Every step she took brought her closer to her mother and father, the two people that she had been waiting, an eternity it seemed, to see. She wanted to see their faces, feel the touch of their skin, and have them embrace her and their daughter.

Her emotions were rampant. Elation, sadness, urgency, regret, and many other feelings surged through her body. She couldn't decide which she was. She was elated at the thought of finally being part of a real family, sad that she wasn't loved by the one she wanted, regret for things happened to those who didn't deserve it, and she felt an urgent need for everything to end.

All the lights were on, but no one was in the house, not on the first floor at least. She ran through each room again, checking for any inhabitant one last time. Satisfied, she ran to the staircase and ascended it as fast as she could.

The second floor was on long hallway, with three doors on each side, and one at the end of the hallway. Not wasting any time, she hurriedly pulled open the doors to each room. No one in the first room, no one in the second. As she came upon the fourth door, she heard noises, coming from somewhere.

She opened the fourth door and burst into the room, nothing. She sighed angrily, at her wits end.

"Mother! Father!" she yelled, no longer caring about anything but seeing them.

Voices came to her from across the hallway. Her breathing increased. She dashed out of the room and went to the fifth door. Her hands reached for the knob, but she found it incredibly hard to open it. Her hands wouldn't turn.

What if they didn't like her? What if…they were already dead?

More voices, of a man and a woman wafted through the door. Breathing so fast, almost to the point of fainting, she forced her hands to turn the knob and open the door.

"Mother!" she yelled again as soon as she stepped over the threshold.

In the small, private sitting room, sat a man and a woman. They were not elderly, but not young; both had dark hair and were dressed in western clothing. The woman had dark blue eyes that gazed at Relena with longing, and the man looked at her with what she thought was curiosity.

She opened her mouth to speak, but all she could get out was a sad, desperate whimper. It wasn't until she moved to take off the rag covering her hair, did she realize she was crying.

"M-mother?" she stuttered.

The woman slowly stood up and walked towards Relena. She was crying as well. The wrinkles in her face caught the tears and channeled them to her chin where they pooled and fell to her feet.

"Is it you?" she said in broken Japanese.

Relena eagerly nodded and looked behind the woman as the man stood, but stayed where he was, the look of curiosity still on his face. He seemed somewhat confused.

"It's me, mother," Relena said and laughed along with the woman.

"Oh," the woman said and touched her hair, continuing in another language. Relena couldn't understand a word.

"Daughter!" the woman said in Japanese and cupped Relena's face. "My daughter!"

"It's me, mother," Relena cried, "It's me, Relena!"

The woman immediately stopped smiling, and stared at her in surprise. The man behind her spoke in a quiet voice, though she couldn't understand any of what he said.

"Relena?" the woman repeated. Relena nodded.

"I have waited for this moment," said Relena, "I have waited and waited. And now, oh! Now," but she could barely finish, she was so overtaken by her emotions.

"Relena," the woman said again, her face no longer happy.

Nodding again, Relena couldn't help but let the smile disappear from her face as well. Why the sudden change in them?

"Not Relena," the woman said slowly in Japanese, "My daughter, Hilde. You are not Hilde."

Her heart stopped, or at least, she forgot to breath.

Not Relena; not her.

Hilde.

。。。。

Wow, I'm sorry for the long gap between chapters. if you read my profile, you would see that my computer was having problems, though it is temporarily fixed now...hehe. Anyway, thanks for reading, looking forward to seeing you in the next chapter!


	17. chapter 17

So long time to see you all. It's been so long, I don't remember who reviewed the last few chapters, but I do say thank you to those that did. **  
**

** Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Wing or anything related to it (except my plot!).

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 17

。。。。

The Western Quarter was larger than he thought it would be. Tall, Victorian houses loomed over him in the darkness like giants. The yellow house he searched for still remained elusive.

He was able to get information from the guards he assaulted, thought not enough. With a few people making their way home, he couldn't afford to make a scene. All he learned was that the two story yellow house was on a street named Kamome. The guards cleverly didn't tell him what he was too hurried to ask. He didn't realize that there were three Kamome streets. Kamome north, south and east. Presently, he quickly and quietly made his way down Kamome south, almost ready to scratch it from the list.

Heero frowned to himself as he jogged. Everything had gone wrong. Everyone was scattered without organization. Duo and the rest broke from the plan, Catherine was in the hands of Trieze, who he hoped was keeping her alive.

He felt a pang of guilt pass through him at the thought. He never liked the idea of leaving Catherine on the train, if it had gone his way, he would have taken her. He knew her well enough to know that she would have agreed with him in this case, though it didn't help dispel his guilt.

As he came to the end of Kamome street south, he cursed under his breath. There was no yellow house on this street, let alone any houses with the lights on. He had two more streets to go and only hoped the one he picked next would be it. He hoped, pleaded that Kamome street east would have the yellow house on it, with Relena inside.

Relena…

His anger had still not subsided, and neither had his fear. He was angry with her, but even angrier with himself. He should have known that she would run off the first chance she could get. He should have known that she would do what she wanted, regardless of what he told her. He should have known…

He was scared. Scared, that he had lost her forever, that he would never find her, and even, that she was…

His hands dropped to his side and balled themselves into a fist. He didn't understand the raw emotions that went through him, but he followed them, listened to them, and let them lead him to where he needed to be.

Turning the corner, he continued his search for Kamome street east.

。。。。

Her breath caught, making it hard to speak. "…What?" she said, her voice almost a whisper.

The woman in front of her stared with confusion. She heard her words, but she still couldn't believe what she was saying. They weren't her parents, they were Hilde's parents. They didn't want her, they wanted Hilde.

"Hilde, where is Hilde?" the woman said in broken Japanese.

Relena couldn't hear her, she wouldn't. What they were saying, it was a lie, it had to be. It had to be.

"But…no," she started, unsure what exactly she was trying to say. It was all wrong. If these people weren't her parents, then who was? Where were they?

"Where is my Hilde?" the woman said as she grabbed Relena's shoulders, shaking her.

She understood the words being thrown at her, but she couldn't even begin to think of what to say in reply.

They didn't want her.

Where were her real parents? Kayoko had said that her parents were in this building, waiting for her. Kayoko said…

She remembered the look on Kayoko's face, that confident grin of hers. She had been so helpful…

Kayoko had lied.

Relena gasped as her hands flew up to cover her mouth. The woman shook her more, all while repeating Hilde's name. Though, Relena wasn't listening. She couldn't believe her stupidity. She was so wound up from her argument with Heero, and so desperate to see the people she thought were her parents. She was so caught up in herself that she let Kayoko sweep her away.

"No," she breathed into her hands.

"What?" said the woman.

Relena sank to the floor, pressing her head against the rug.

"No!" she screamed and slammed her hand against the floor.

She was such a fool to believe Kayoko. All the warnings had gone off in her head, but yet she still followed. And now to find out that she had been tricked, that these people didn't want her at all, she began to curse herself.

She couldn't get past it. How did she come to be at this place? All of her hard work, the torture she had to endure in the okiya, how she destroyed friendships and laid her very soul down to obtain what she thought would be her salvation.

Then she thought of Heero, and her heart sank. She could imagine how furious he would be.

What was she going to tell him…

Yells from outside interrupted her thoughts. The man and the woman turned their attention to the window after more angry yells shot through the walls. Hastily walking to the window, the man pulled the curtains aside slightly. He spoke to the woman quickly, who gasped in return.

Lifting her head up, Relena watched the exchange. She couldn't understand what they were saying, but their tone sounded urgent and frightened.

The woman looked through the window. Relena couldn't see her face, but her shoulders were trembling.

"Kayoko-san," she said.

Once again, Relena couldn't breathe from shock. Those gun shots, was Kayoko…

She shot up to her feet and ran towards the window. Pushing her way through the man and the woman, she looked outside.

There was no one.

She glanced from side to side, trying to get a better view of the scene, but she could see no one. How strange. Turning back, she looked at the woman.

"Kayoko?" she said, "Are you sure?"

Shaking her head, the woman could only repeat Kayoko's name.

"Officer," the man said. Relena turned to him in surprise. It was the first thing he had said in Japanese.

"Officer?" she said.

"Officer," he said again.

Relena turned the word over in her head, wondering what officer could be with Kayoko. For a fleeting moment she thought that it could be Heero, but she decided against it. Kayoko came to her minutes after Heero left; unless he saw Kayoko. Then it could also be Khushrenada's men. A shiver went up her spine at the thought. If it was Khushrenada's men, then she was done for.

The woman began to speak frantically to her husband, Relena couldn't understand a word. Why would they be afraid if they saw Kayoko? Khushrenada is the one they should fear.

The breath she had been holding escaped. Could it be possible…could Kayoko be associated with Khushrenada?

Her stomach dropped as she grappled with the thought. It seemed far fetched, but it was possible. Kayumi wouldn't be very happy if Kayoko did something against her will, or Mother's will, for that matter. But the same was true for Kayumi. Despite their scheming, neither of them would do anything to anger Mother.

Unless Mother was the one associated with Khushrenada.

Her hand flew up to cover her mouth. There was no way she could prove it, but the idea sent her mind spinning. The wheels turned and clicked, pieces began to fit together to form a clear picture.

If it was true, then she was right where they wanted her, or where they wanted Hilde.

"Hilde," she murmured to herself, suddenly afraid for the girl's life.

She was always with Kayoko, but not this night. Relena shook at the thought of what Kayoko could have done to Hilde.

The two others turned their attention to her at the mention of Hilde. Turning towards them, she shook her head, not knowing what to say. She was thinking of all the possibilities, and how to get herself out of such a bad predicament.

"Hilde?" the woman said as she walked towards Relena.

Relena could only shake her head, knowing that anything she said to them wouldn't be understood. But she had to try anyway.

"I," she began, "We must leave here."

As expected, they shook their heads in confusion.

"We," Relena said as she pointed to herself and them, "We must leave." She made a big gesture of pointing to the door and pointing outside.

The man shook his head again and waved his hand in front of his chest.

"Khushreanada," he said. That was the only word she could get out of his foreign speech.

"Khushrenada is playing you for a fool," said someone from behind.

Whirling around, they were faced with an angry Kayoko with an even angrier Wufei behind her. His sword was drawn and pressed up against her neck and she made small attempts to lessen his grip on her.

"Kayoko!" Relena and the woman said together. The man said something as well.

"Chang-san," Relena said as she looked at him. She opened her mouth to say more, but she just couldn't think of what to say. What was he doing here?

She was speaking to Chang, but she was focused on Kayoko. She could tell that she was annoyed, or angry, but the smug look on her face was unmistakable. Perhaps, just perhaps what she was guessing at was true.

"Kayoko," the man said as he stepped forward. "Where is Hilde?" His Japanese was broken and his accent heavy, but if Kayoko understood him, she didn't let it on. She remained silent.

"Kayoko…" Relena said.

A kind smile finally broke out on her face, despite the sword that was pressed to her neck. The couple next to her relaxed the slightest bit, but Relena had seen that smile far too many times to know that Kayoko's intended meaning was not kindness.

"What a host of guests we have gathered here," she said softly.

Relena glanced to her side and noticed the confused yet eager looks on the couple's faces.

"Kayoko, Chang-san, what is going on?" she asked, "These people say that Hilde, I mean, Kazue is their daughter! If that is so, then where are my parents?"

Kayoko's smile broadened as she stopped struggling. Relena looked back and forth between Chang and Kayoko when neither of them said anything.

"Dorothy has something to say," Chang said as he twisted her arm a fraction. Kayoko winced.

"Dorothy?" Relena said, but quick thinking. That was her real name, it had to be. "Dorothy…" she said again.

"Oh Aikyou-san! You must help me! This awful barbarian attacked me outside!" Dorothy said dramatically. Chang shook her well enough to elicit a yelp of pain.

"I wouldn't believe everything this snake says," he growled.

Dorothy scoffed. "Aikyou-san! You can't believe him! Please, make him let me go, please!" she cried.

Relena looked back and forth between them, ignoring interjections from the couple behind her. She didn't want to trust either of them.

"When was the last time you spoke to me so respectfully, I simply can't recall," Relena said to Dorothy. The desperate look on Dorothy's face melted and her expression hardened. "You must want something very bad to use such theatrics."

She didn't respond.

"And why is Chang-san calling you Dorothy? Was that your name before you became 'Kayoko'?" Relena continued, "You have so many faces, I hardly know which to believe."

"The same could be said of you, Relena-chan," Dorothy spat.

Relena frowned. She hadn't heard that name in a long time. "Don't compare me to yourself. I'm nothing like you."

A shrill laugh erupted from Dorothy's mouth. She hung her head back and took her time enjoying whatever she found amusing.

"Oh Relena-chan, nothing like me? You, who presented your teachers with delicious foods and sweet talked them into finding you an older sister," said Dorothy.

"What?" Relena said, but Dorothy plowed on.

"You, who made your own brother choose between yourself and the woman he loved."

"No, it wasn't like that! Kayumi is-"

"You," Dorothy yelled over her protests. "Who plants seeds of doubt in the minds of others, all to secure a _danna_."

"Quiet!"

"And worst of all, You, who without a second thought, single-handedly destroyed the happiness of your friend!"

"No! I didn't want it like that! I tried to include Hilde, but Mother ruined everything!"

"Yes, Relena-chan, blame it on Mother. It was Mother that ruined your_plans_. It was Kayumi-san who cornered you. It was Megumi-san who forced you to do everything," Dorothy said.

Relena shook her head desperately. "I had to, I didn't have a choice!"

"Oh please!" screamed Dorothy, "You always had a choice, Relena, and you chose to trample over those who were in your way."

"No!"

"Yes! You knew what you were doing. I should have given you more credit. Then I would have realized sooner what a beast you really are!"

Relena clamped her hands over her ears and sunk into a nearby chair. "No, I'm not a beast!" she said.

"Oh, Relena-chan," Dorothy said gently, "You're not fooling me. I don't care how sweet and innocent you seem on the outside."

Relena uncapped her ears and looked up at Dorothy. Her eyes burned brightly.

"It's that vicious, calculating beast inside you that I find so appealing!" she said with venom.

Gasping, Relena stared wide-eyed at Dorothy.

"Enough of this," Chang said and pushed Dorothy down to the floor. He didn't release her from his hold, however. He had his sword pointed directly against her neck.

"May I sit in a chair?" she asked mockingly with a sarcastic grin plastered on her face.

"No," Chang answered, ignoring her tone. He pressed the blade harder into her skin.

She yelped again. "Do you know how many scars I'll have after this? I'll never be able to work in Gion again!" she said.

"I doubt you'll work anywhere regardless," Chang replied, "You've done a very bad job for your master."

"Barbarian," she spat at him.

"Likewise," Chang said and he dug the tip in further.

"Chang-san," Relena pleaded.

After moments pause, he released the pressure on Dorothy and stepped back; but anyone could see that he was ready to cut her down at any second.

Dorothy giggled to herself as she propped herself up on her hands.

"She has even fooled you, my my."

"You're at the end of your rope, Dorothy. Don't waste what little you have left," he said.

She remained silent as she looked up the length of the sword.

"You are going to tell us everything you know, and not like last time when you glazed over parts. We are going to hear everything," Chang said.

Dorothy was again quiet as she glared at Chang. He looked down at her and frowned.

"What is your mission?" he asked.

Silence.

Chang closed the gap between her and the sword. "You have no way out, Dorothy," he said.

Silence, then she spoke.

"To confuse your objective," she answered.

Relena sat up in the chair. This was it, she was finally going to hear the truth.

"What do you mean?" he said, "And state it clearly. No foolish embellishments that you geisha are so fond of."

She frowned at him as she continued. "Lord Khushrenada has orders from the Fuher to capture and kill prominent traitors to the Third Reich."

"We already know that," Chang yelled, "We already know Khushrenada's mission."

"Then what do you want from me?" Dorothy yelled back.

"Tell us your purpose in all of this! We already know you don't have the authority to kill Relena, otherwise you would have done it already."

Dorothy shook her head at him. There was nothing snide about her face.

"You can't be this stupid!" she said. He inched the sword closer to her skin.

"You dare test me?" he growled.

"No!" Dorothy yelled quickly as the swords came closer. "I told you before! Relena was never Khushrenada's target."

The room was silent, save Dorothy's heavy breathing. It was true that Kayoko was working under Khushreanada. Relena had guessed as much. That explained her cruelness. Her statement also proved that the man and woman standing behind her were not her parents. Any glimmer of hope that Relena held onto was dashed away.

"Then who is the real target?" Chang asked.

"Schbeiker," she said. The man and woman behind Relena gasped as they heard the name.

"Hilde Schbeiker."

。 。 。 。

This was getting ridiculous, he thought.

What was the point in having so many streets with the same name? He thought that it would be simple to find things in the Western Quarter, since all the streets hand names and were laid out like a grid.

Apparently not so.

He knew he was looking for a yellow house, and such a house with such a color should be easy to spot, but there was no yellow house to be seen. He passed every house on each of the Kamome streets, and nothing to be found.

Perhaps the guards lied to him, that had to be it. He cursed at himself, not the first time nor the last. He admitted to himself that he had gone into a panic. The thought of Relena running around Tokyo alone sent him into over drive. The thought of her with one of Khushrenada's people was even worse.

He should have thought about things better. He didn't kill the guards, but now he was thinking he should have. They saw through his bluff.

He swore to himself again. He could feel his anger growing. When he saw Relena…he didn't know what he would say to her. If he saw Relena. At this rate, he may…

He pushed the thoughts from his mind and turned a corner.

This was ridiculous.

Then something clicked. Relena would not have left the room unless she felt the need to do so. He knew she was smart enough to pick out what was important and not important. She would not leave unless she knew the position of her parents. There were a select few who had that knowledge. Khushrenada, Une, Kayumi, Marquise, and Kayoko.

This revelation sent his mind turning. Which one of those four would be the most likely to go to Relena directly? Not Une, who was still in Kyoto for the best of his knowledge. Not Khushrenada, whom he assumed was sitting somewhere pulling all the strings. From the display at the cherry blossom party so long ago, he didn't think that Zechs would outright betray his sister. Kayumi was a possibility. He hadn't seen her for months.

Then there was Kayoko, who followed Relena constantly. He supposed that it could be the request of her older sister, but he wouldn't put defiance past her.

So it was either Kayumi or Kayoko who approached Relena. They must have during the time he went to find Duo and the others. Damn them, he thought. There was next to no possibility of finding those two either.

Just as he was about to turn around and give up on the current street, he saw a figure move to his right. Instinct kicked in as he dodged behind a bush.

He couldn't tell if they had seen him, but they were making so much noise, he figured he was safe.

One, two, three, four dark figures made their way across the intersection. One was leading the way while the other three walked together in a line. Two women and two men, he decided. From the dim light of the moon, he could see that three of them wore kimono while one of the men wore a jin-bei. The two men had exceptionally long hair, one of them had it braided…

Heero crept out from behind the bush and stalked the group until the reached the opposite sidewalk. Their sandals scratched loudly against the pavement, he was trying hard not to do the same.

However, both men caught onto him. They both whipped around, brandishing pistols. He knew of few people with such good intuition.

"Who are you, what do you want," one of them said. Heero sighed to himself.

"I was supposed to meet you hours ago, Duo," he said bluntly.

They all paused, the pistols still held up.

"…Heero?" one of them asked.

"Yes," Heero replied.

The group visibly relaxed and they put their pistols back in their holsters.

"Jesus, Heero. You scared the shit out of us," Duo said as he walked forward.

The other three came out of the shadows. Marquise, Kazue, and Kayumi. There went his theory. At least he now knew who lured Relena out of the inn.

"What are you doing with them?" Heero asked as he glanced at Kayumi and Marquise. The two of them remained silent. Zechs hadn't put his pistol back in the holster. Kayumi had a protective arm on Kazue.

"Oh, them? Well, these two switched sides, and Hilde here is caught in the middle. We were trying to get her to safety but she's being stubborn," Duo said with a grim smile.

"I'm not going to let them kill Relena!" the girl said.

"Hilde?" Heero asked.

"Oh, Kazue is Hilde," Duo said, "Anyway, before you wet your britches, Relena will be fine. We made a mistake."

Heero frowned at Duo's choice of words before moving on. "What mistake?"

"It's Hilde they're after," Kayumi said, "Not Relena."

Heero was silent.

"She was the decoy," Marquise said.

Turning to him, Heero's frown deepened. "You knew this the whole time?"

Marquise nodded.

"Her own brother," Heero said.

"That's not how it is!" Kayumi snapped. "Khushrenada has us backed into a corner."

Disgusted, he began to walk around them. The anger that had disappeared when he first saw them was back in full force. How could he do that to his own sister all while ignoring the fate of another innocent girl.

"Heero," Duo called after him.

"I have nothing to say to them."

"Heero, Marquise did it so save Relena and Kayumi, I mean, Noin."

He stopped, and then turned slowly. "What?"

"It's my fault, all from the beginning," Kayumi started. "My father was a foreign doctor that openly opposed the government. When he was killed, the Itoo okiya took me in and kept me safe. They made me into a geisha." Kayumi started.

"Kayumi-oneesan?" Hilde said.

"I met Zechs a few years ago when I had a _danna_. We became…intimate, and my _danna_ found out. The rumors spread quickly enough, Mother, or Une, was going to throw me out of the okiya. But Zechs intervened. He offered his services in exchange for my position in the okiya. Because of him, I was able to stay."

"But why not just leave?" Duo said, "I'm still not getting this part."

"As long as I was in the okiya I was assured a comfortable life. Who wants to live in poverty?"

Duo nodded his head, though his face showed disbelief. "Touché," he mumbled.

"Une allowed Zechs to become a kimono dresser. He was mine at first, but she eventually pushed him onto the up and coming Megumi, to avoid further…interactions."

"So what does this have to do with Relena?" Heero asked. He was loosing time every second he stood listening to them talk.

"I went to Kyoto to earn money for my family. When I heard that both my parents had died I panicked. Relena was little then and all alone. I wanted to have her close by," Marquise said.

"The only place for her to be was in the Itoo okiya," Kayumi added, "I could keep an eye on her for Zechs, she was safe."

"It got bad when Hilde's parents fled Germany. They couldn't make it, so they sent Hilde with a Japanese merchant who was returning home," Zechs continued. "When the government found out what happened years later, they appointed Khushrenada to the task of finding and killing all three of them. His reputation was well established in Japan, so he was the best for the job.

Une already had ties with him, so she offered her help in any way she could. We just got caught in the middle. It was service or our lives."

"What about Catherine?" Heero asked, "What did she do to deserve what happened to her?"

Kayumi shifted her gaze downwards. "Khushrenada and Une were very familiar with the siblings and their work in the prevention of trafficking of young girls," she said, "She was rising in the geisha ranks when she met Khushrenada, not by accident. They were on to him, but Khushrenada saw right through them.

Khushrenada immediately made an offer to be her _danna_. That's what made her so famous. He let her believe that she could use him, all while he kept tabs on everything that she and her brother did."

"And us," Duo said. Kayumi nodded.

"Then Dorothy came to the okiya," she said, "She was running from debt collectors and Khushrenada, her cousin, paid them off for her. In exchange, he put her to work. He threatened that if she couldn't pay him back, he would throw her out on the streets and never think of her again."

"Kayoko?" Hilde said, "Kayoko was forced to do all that?"

Kayumi nodded. "It was Kayoko who found you in that little farming village. Coincidentally, Relena was also from a farming village. The parents she thought adopted her were her real parents."

"Relena's parents are dead," Heero said to himself. Kayumi nodded again.

"Khushrenada realized that he couldn't kill Hilde out right. He was watching Megumi, but he knew that she would do anything to get in the way if she found out about Hilde."

"So he made it look like Relena was the one he was after," Heero finished. Kayumi nodded again.

"The task of confusing all of you was appointed to myself and Dorothy."

"Well, you certainly did a good job of it," Duo spat.

Kayumi looked his way and narrowed her eyes. "What would you have done?" she asked, "It was perfectly in Khushrenada's ability to have Relena killed if we didn't cooperate."

"So why not run away?"

"I've told you! Khushrenada has men everywhere. Do you not see how this country is being run? If Khushrenada, a German official, brands us as traitors, then we die," Kayumi snapped back.

A long pause followed. So they never wanted Relena. It was Hilde, the girl in front of him, who they wanted.

"Does Relena know?" Heero asked. Kayumi shook her head.

He swore to himself and began to walk off again.

"Where are you going?" Duo called.

"Kayoko lured Relena out of the inn we were at. She thinks she is going to find her parents."

Zechs stepped forward. "How was Dorothy able to do that if you were with her?" he asked.

Heero paused as he looked up at him. "I wasn't with her," he simply said.

"You left her by herself?" the other said in a deadly tone.

"I went to deliver a message to Duo, who wasn't where he was supposed to be," Heero said. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Duo look in a different direction. "Besides, where were you in all of this? If you were so worried, shouldn't it have been you, her brother, taking care of her?"

"You talk as if it's a burden," Zechs said, his voice rising.

"I wouldn't have taken a bullet for her if I thought it was a burden."

Marquise stepped back, but his eyes remained on Heero. "Relena has had a hard life. I wanted to make things easy for her," he said.

"You're going about it the wrong way," piped Duo.

"I know that now," Zechs said, interrupting him.

Heero almost sighed, but he wouldn't let himself. Everything was coming together, there was no time for rest.

"We have to find her. Once Khushrenada find out you two have turned against him, he'll waste no time in killing your bargaining chip," Heero said. He ignored the pointed glare coming from Zechs.

"The safe house is this way," Kayumi said as she began to walk briskly back the way Heero had come. The rest followed, Hilde rushed to her older sister's side.

"Hilde, I'm so sorry," he heard her whisper. Hilde nodded before linking arms with her.

They walked hastily, but Marquise never stopped glaring at Heero. He could feel his eyes burning into him

"You haven't changed."

Heero turned to his right, surprised to see Marquise right next to him.

"Really," Heero said as he turned back to the road.

"How is your niece by the way?" he asked, "Are you taking care of her?"

Without waiting for an answer, he moved up the line to walk behind Kayumi and Hilde. He murmured something to her and she nodded.

Heero drew in a large breath and reminded himself that he had to do his job first. He had to get to Relena first. He had to remove her from harm's way and make sure that any threat to her safety was non-existent. After all that, he would deal with her brother.

Zechs…

。。。。

"Call the house, Lady Une," she heard through the receiver.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"I want you to connect me to the house."

She paused, then took in a deep breath. "Of course, my Lord."

"Thank you."

She couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips as she dialed the operator.

。。。。

"Is that the truth?" Chang asked Dorothy. He still had his sword tip against her neck.

"Yes," she replied.

"All of it?"

"Everything I know."

He sighed to himself, "That means that there is more too it."

"Which I don't know," she added hastily.

He spared her a wary glance before turning his attention to the room's other inhabitants.

"What do we do now, Chang-san?" Relena asked him half-heartedly. She eyed Dorothy, unsure of what to feel anymore. She didn't dare glance back at Hilde's parents.

Hilde's parents.

"Either way, we can't stay here," he said as he reached down and grabbed Dorothy by the sleeve. She didn't protest.

"But where will we go? There isn't anywhere else," Relena said. She remained seated, despite the others who followed Chang.

"We're going to the wharf," he said and began to pull Dorothy towards the door.

The man and the woman followed suit, even though their faces were muddled with confusion. Relena watched them pass her and felt a hole open up inside her. Breath left her and she couldn't find the strength to stand.

"What are you doing?" Chang said, "We must move now."

Relena shook her head and tried to breath.

"How can they? It's too awful," she said.

"Relena…" Chang said.

She could hear the urgency in his voice, but her limbs wouldn't move. How cruel of them; leading her to believe that these people were he parents. Did they not think of how she would feel? All to kill three people who had done nothing to warrant death.

And Heero, she thought, how much did he know? Is this what he wrote in that note? But if Chang didn't know, then she didn't think it likely that Heero would. Then again…

She hopelessly sighed to herself as her head sunk into her palms. She didn't understand what she was feeling. Hate, anger, sadness, and for whatever reason most of it was directed at Heero.

She wanted to cry out, she wanted to see him.

"Get up," Chang said sternly.

She had to move, but she just…

"Oh, why?" she mumbled, on the brink of tears.

Not a moment later, they heard voices from below. Relena's head instantly shot up and looked towards the door to the room. Turning her stare to Chang she looked at him worriedly.

"You don't think…" she started.

"Oh, my my," Dorothy chirped. "Could that be Khushrenada himself?"

"Shut it," Chang said as he twisted her arm behind her back. She drew in a sharp breath as she shut her eyes and winced.

"Chang-san," Relena said.

He shook his head, "Khushreanada doesn't know we're here," he said, though he sounded quite unsure.

The man and woman looked to each other and began to speak in their tongue again. Dorothy smiled.

But the smile died quickly as they heard a voice call to them.

"Relena!"

"That's," Relena said as she listened to her name be called. She never thought to hear his voice again.

"Milliardo!" she exclaimed and pushed her self up from the chair. She wasted no time running across the room and bursting through the door.

"Wait!" she heard Chang call after, but she ignored him.

Milliardo, her brother, did he come for her, she wondered as she ran down the stairs as fast as her feet would carry her.

"Milliardo!" she cried again as she reached the landing.

There were others with him, she could hear. He no doubt brought Kayumi along with him, or Noin actually. Her eyes widened as she scurried from room to room, looking for him. If Kayumi was with him, then would Hilde be with her? They were sisters. If Hilde knew what she did, then all would be well.

A surge of excitement rushed through her as she rounded a corner to see a group of people standing in the main sitting room.

"Milliardo!" she said as she saw his pale head of hair. Milliardo and… "Heero!"

The look on his face terrified her, and broke her heart. He was furious, his eyes burned as he glared at her. She knew that he would be angry for what she did, and she greatly regretted it. But there was something else there. A flicker of light in his eyes, he was in pain. Not physical, no, but he was in pain.

A few moments later, Chang came up behind her, pulling along Dorothy, and followed by Hilde's parents.

The two of them scanned the group with anxious looks in their eyes. Then, the woman cried out, a terrible cry that made all turn to her.

"Hilde!" she screamed as she pushed past Relena and through Milliardo and Kayumi.

Relena's mouth opened the slightest when she saw Maxell behind them, next to Hilde, but the woman took no notice of him, all she could see was her daughter.

"Hilde!" she said again and continued in German.

No one could understand what she was saying, but they all cold recognize the happiness that she exuded. Hilde looked up at her expectantly and nervously touched the woman's hands.

"Mama?" she whispered.

The woman burst out crying and nodded. "Yes," she said in Japanese, "Mama."

Relena felt something brush her side. The man was walking past her much like the woman did and joined his family. She looked after them longingly. She tried to say something, but the words wouldn't form. She swallowed the knot in her throat. For the shortest time, they had been her parents.

"Relena," Milliardo said as he came towards her.

She looked up into his face, and she broke.

His eyes pleaded with her. They looked exactly the same as that day when he escorted Megumi-san, Khushrenada and herself to the kabuki play.

She took in a sharp breath and one tear slipped down her cheek. He reached his hand up and brushed it away.

"Relena, forgive me. I was only trying to protect you," he muttered.

"Milliardo," she said. It was the only thing she could say, nothing else would come. She was so angry with them all, but she felt that there was some part of her that was glad to know the truth.

She looked behind the mass of people at Hilde. She was glad that the man and woman had found their daughter, and she was glad that Hilde was no longer alone. But she still couldn't ignore the hole I her chest.

"We don't have time for this," Heero interjected.

"Quatre and Sally have spots for us on a boat. We have to get to the wharf now," said Duo.

Relena looked around the group, she couldn't help but avoid the eyes of Heero.

She heard Dorothy hiss out yet another insult at Wufei.

"What about this one?" he asked.

"It can't be helped," Heero said, "She'll have to come with."

"What?" Hilde exclaimed. "I don't want her anywhere near me!" Her finger jabbed at Dorothy in a threatening manner.

"Hilde," Duo cautioned.

"No! We found what we were looking for," she said as she clutched onto her mother, "Get rid of that monster! She brings nothing but trouble."

"If we leave her to herself she'll only do more damage," Heero stated clearly.

Hilde didn't offer anything to say, she only glared at Dorothy, who seemed to be very unaffected by at the hatred being thrown at her.

"Fools," Dorothy muttered. Wufei jerked her around to shut her up, but she wouldn't be silenced.

"This city is crawling with Khushrenada's men. There is no way you will make it to the wharf," she said.

"Quiet, Dorothy," Kayumi said. Dorothy only laughed at her.

"I was surprised you made it as far as you did Noin, but I knew you won't be able to hold out forever," she said.

"Hold out against what?" Hilde snapped.

"Against her own sense of what is right," she replied, "But she forgets that paying debts come first."

"Is that what you're doing?" Hilde yelled, "You seem to be enjoying it."

"I can't help what I have to do. Why not make it something positive?"

"Little rat…" Kayumi muttered to herself.

"What are you hissing about? You taught me everything you see here now!"

Kayumi frowned at Dorothy. Her silence made a smile grace Dorothy's face again. She was right.

"I can't make excuses," Kayumi began, but she was interrupted when the phone rang.

Everyone in the room froze and listened to the phone ring and ring. No one said, but they all knew, there was only one person who could know the connection to this specific house.

Heero walked towards Milliardo and Relena. As soon as he opened his moth to talk Dorothy flung herself at the phone and ripped the speaker off the machine. Wufei quickly grabbed and pushed her down to the ground. Her face lay close to the speaker. Despite the position Wufei had her in, she was smiling.

"They're here! They're all here! Lord Khushrenada, the girl and her parents are here!" She began to scream, over and over again.

Wufei pulled her away with such a force that her neck snapped from side to side. She show any discomfort and continued to scream at the speaker.

"We need to leave, now," Heero yelled over Dorothy's screaming.

Milliardo began to usher Relena towards the sitting room door while Duo began to pull Hilde and her parents the same way. Wufei tried to make Dorothy work with him, but her screaming and thrashing were uncontrollable.

Relena saw her eyes dart around the room, and then focus on Hilde and her retreating parents.

Then she moved.

Struggling and struggling, her kimono in shambles and her hair in disarray, she delivered a well aimed lick right to Wufei's gut. Stunned, he fell backwards with a look of surprise. Dorothy distanced herself from him as much as she could.

With a face of unbridled anger and fear, she reached into the front of her obi.

"I've worked too hard to let you get away, you little shit!" she screamed.

Without seeing what she had in her hand, Relena already knew what she intended to do. So this was the second time in a few days that she would be in the middle of a violent fight.

She saw Dorothy arch her hand towards Hilde, the tiny metal object in her hand gleamed under the artificial light. One could barley see it, but it was clear what it was.

The desperation on her face clear, she wasn't thinking about anything else besides her orders.

"When you're dead, I'll be free," she growled.

Relena whipped her head around to Hilde, who's eyes had widened. The fear there was apparent.

She wasted no time. Relena pushed Milliardo to the side and ran at Hilde. How could se tell her how sorry she was for the way thing turned out? She truly thought she did her best all this time. She only regretted that she couldn't convince Mother to make Megumi-san take both her and Hilde under her wing.

As of now, this was the only way she could ask forgiveness.

A hot pain ripped through her side as soon as she stepped in front of Hilde, and she knew she had been hit.

"No!" Dorothy screamed.

"Relena!" Hilde yelled at the same time.

The feeling in her limbs drained and poured out her center. Dropping to the floor, she felt hands all around her, voices calling her name. Although she was thinking of Hilde, she sought out another.

She latched onto a hand reaching out from a grey kimono. His eyes were angry, yet she saw worry in them.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"You should have waited," he said through clenched teeth.

She smiled, and that was all she could do. The bubbling of liquid in her throat was unbearable. She gasped for air and coughed, the red liquid spewing forth.

More and more voices yelled out. She could hear Dorothy screaming, and Milliardo arguing with someone else.

"We go, now," Heero ground out.

She felt hands picking her up, moving her around. She looked to the side and saw Hilde staring at her, tears streaming down her face.

"Relena," she whimpered as Duo and two other sets of hands tried to pull her away.

"I'm sorry," Relena coughed.

The liquid ran down her cheek, staining the white skin.

* * *

So there we are, chapter 17. I can't say when the next one will be up, but I promise that I will not leave this story to the fanfic bone-yard! I promise I will finish it. So please stay with me, and I am very grateful for those who have done so thus far. Like I have said, you keep me going!

Thank you, tell me what you think, we are so close, I can almost taste the end!


	18. chapter 18

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Wing or anything related to it (except my plot!).

Here we are again. I was reading over reviews of this story and was greatly inspired by all the faithful readers. I know I'm terrible about updates, but please know you all keep me going! I'm learning for the next fics...learning, learning. Now onto chapter 18!

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 18

。。。。

"I'm sorry," she said to him.

Bright red blood sparkled underneath the artificial light as it trickled from her mouth, the rest pouring out her side.

"We leave now," he said, but really, he couldn't think of what to do.

His mind was rushing. The brightness in Relena's eyes was fading. She was fighting desperately to hang onto consciousness. She mumbled incoherent things, the only thing he understood what his name.

"We leave now," he repeated. But he didn't move.

He ripped the rag off her head and pressed it to her wound hard. Her hair, loose from struggling, fell over his forearm. Her eyes flung open and she cried out in pain. One of her hands grasped at the wound. Disoriented, she couldn't find his hand or the wound. Her mouth gaped open, ready to speak, but she only coughed up more blood.

"Heero," he heard Duo say.

"I know," he replied.

Her eyes pleaded with him. But it wasn't fear he saw in them, it was sorrow. She said she was sorry. Stupid girl, he thought to himself. Even as she lay castrated on the floor she worried for others and how they perceived her. She would, he thought.

Hoisting her up, he quickly made waste of her obi. He wrenched the indigo colored fabric off her body and began tearing the cheap cotton apart from end to end. Turning back to Relena he loosened the ties around her waist an opened up her robes.

"Yuy," he hears Zechs say.

"The bleeding must stop if she is to live," he said as he worked hastily. "Get Hilde and her parents out of here."

He didn't even bother to think about her nakedness being exposed to everyone in the room. All he cared about was stopping the bleeding. He cleaned the wound the best he could, wiping away blood that wouldn't stop. Pressing a matted pad of fabric on her again, she groaned.

"Relena," he called. She had to stay conscious, or else he would loose her.

He began to wrap and wrap the long strips of fabric around her waist. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the pale flesh of her breasts shake along with his movements and the short rise and fall of her chest. She was slipping away.

"Heero," Duo called again.

Making a firm knot on the fabric, Heero turned to face the rest of the room's inhabitants.

"Get her out of here," he breathed, nodding towards Hilde.

"Heero," Duo said. The rest of the room was silent save for Dorothy who was struggling against Wufei.

He turned back to Relena; her eyes had closed. and applied pressure to her wound. When there was no response, he took her jaw in his hand and shook it.

"Relena," he said and lightly slapped her cheek. "Relena, you can't close your eyes."

He could see her eyes stirring below the lids. With a short breath, they cracked open. The sliver of her pupils slowly moved around, unaware of her surroundings.

"You can't stay. Treize will be here soon," Duo said.

"Leave," Heero said again with more force.

"We can't leave Relena!" Hilde exclaimed.

"Heero, if Trieze finds you here, he'll kill you both."

They came at him like a chorus of voices, bombarding him from every side. He looked down at Relena. The bleeding seemed to have slowed, but he knew that he would have to get the bullet out if she was going to live.

"Heero," someone said,

"Heero."

"We have to leave now, Heero."

"No!" he yelled out, whipping his head around to face them. "Treize wants her," he gestured towards Hilde. "If he kills anyone it will be her."

"But I can't leave Relena," Hilde said through a knot in her throat.

"Leave her to me," he said.

Hilde shook her head. She pushed away the people surrounding her and rushed to Relena's body.

"Hilde!" the woman yelled as she reached after her daughter.

Hildue shrugged off the arms that would hold her back. She tripped over herself trying to get away from them. Falling to her knees, her face came suddenly close to Heero's. She looked from Relena to him, her eyes pleading.

"Please," she said.

He cast his gaze downwards. Relena's eyes were lazily looking around, her lids becoming heavier. How long had it been since Dorothy screamed into the phone; a minute at least. He looked back at Hilde.

"I promise," he said, with a soft, but determined voice. "She will live, and I will get her out of this country."

He was afraid that his promise did nothing to calm her. The look of surprise on her face seemed more like a look of disbelief to him. He waited for her to protest again, but she instead closed her eyes. She began to cry.

She crouched over Relena and hid her face in the crook of the neck. He couldn't see what she was doing, but the uneven rise and fall of her back was some indication.

"I'm sorry," he thought he heard her whisper.

The corners of Relena's eyes turned up. The look on her face, 'blissful' was the only way to describe it. She tried to say something, but quiet mumbles came out.

"Don't say anymore," Hilde said softly. She rose quickly and went back to her parent's side. "Let's go," she said definitively.

Heero could only sigh in thanks; he knew she would never hear it. Now he had two promises to keep, and they both involved Relena.

"No," said Zechs as soon as the words left Hilde's mouth. "I am not leaving my sister here with him," he didn't have to point for everyone to know who he was talking about. The way he hurled the word 'him' would have made anyone flinch, but Heero was past caring for Zechs's opinion.

"He said he would save her, and I believe him," Hilde said, "We have to go now, who knows how close Treize could be?"

"Zechs, she is right," Noin said from behind.

"Noin, she is my sister," he ground out.

"You're going to get us all killed with this arguing! Whatever is going on between you two, don't drag the rest of us in it!" Hilde yelled at him.

The rest of them collectively stared at Hilde in surprise. She herself turned her widened eyes downward, surprised with herself.

"I mean," she began quietly, "Yuy-san has no intention of harming Relena. We should think about staying alive. Now that the truth has come out, we shouldn't waste it by letting ourselves get captured."

Zechs stared her down furiously. The lines and anger on his face showed his inner battle. His eyes darted from Hilde to Heero and back. He couldn't stop turning his angry glare on everyone in the room. Settling on Relena, he began to nod his head.

"Don't die Yuy," he said, "Because if she doesn't make it, I'll be the one ending you."

Heero frowned to hide the contempt. He didn't understand how Zechs could become so protective after so much maltreatment, but he kept his moth shut.

"Just focus on getting them out of here," Duo commented from behind. "Come on."

With nothing more, he grabbed onto Hilde's hand and left the room. Zechs turned and followed them, making haste to get ahead of Duo.

"Go out the back way," Heero heard him say as they disappeared around the wall. The only one left was Wufei who was tying a gag around Dorothy's mouth.

"I would knock her out, but then I'd have to drag her around the city," he mumbled.

Heero recognized the vain attempt at humor and tried in vain to smile. "Watch your back," he said as Wufei pulled the struggling Dorothy after the rest of the group.

He was finally left with Relena. Turning back to her he noticed her eyes had closed, yet again. A jolt of panic went through him but he squashed it before it got to him. He could barely see the rise and fall of her chest.

"Relena," he said as he slapped her cheek, "Don't close your eyes." The panic in his stomach began to rise when she didn't respond.

The seemingly lifeless body lying in his arms kept him from thinking strait. The red blood on her lips had turned dark, but it was still wet. It stained her white skin and made his stomach turn in the most sick of ways. They all used her, and when she was no longer worth anything, they threw her away. How could they treat her so.

How could he have treated her so. The things he said, he knew what she wanted and directed his words to make the largest impact. Such scathing remarks, when he knew it would hurt her…

Looking at her state now, he wondered if she would have left had he not beaten her down with his words.

Smacking her cheek harder, he called her name again.

"Relena," he said with force, "Open your eyes."

He held his breath at first when there was no response. Then she stirred, her eyelids struggling their best to open. He shook her, minding the wound, until she moaned. What she said didn't matter, as long as she was conscious.

Satisfied for the moment, Heero took spare pieces of the obi fabric and used it to tie the kimono shut. Without the proper person or time to re adjust the robes, the kimono was far to long for Relena; excess fabric dangled past her feet. But that was the last thing on his mind as he thought of where to go next.

Just get to the harbor, he kept telling himself; All he needed to do was get Relena to safety, one way or another. Different roads and passageways raced through his thoughts, he had to find the fastest possible way to get out. As he looked down at Relena, his mind became distracted again.

No amount of hating himself would make their situation any better he thought, but there was no way he couldn't. In driving her away, making her feel useless, he killed her. He didn't point the gun at her, and he didn't pull the trigger, but he was just as guilty.

"Heero," she said, barely loud enough to hear. He pulled her face up to his as she hacked out several bloody coughs.

"I'm going to move you now," he said to her, as gently as he could, "Please do your best to withstand it."

In several movements, with no great ease, he was standing in the middle of the room with Relena cradled in his arms.

Her hand suddenly grasped at the collar of his kimono. She strained to pull her head up. Her eyes were open just the slightest bit, gazing at him with unusual humor in them.

"Here we are again," she smiled.

He took a moment to revel in disbelief; she was making jokes, being sarcastic as she teetered between life and death. He shook his head and frowned helplessly.

"I will not let you die," he said, more for his sake than hers. Her mouth turned up in a smile as she held onto him.

"I know," she said.

"Does it hurt?" he asked. Stupid question.

She made a feeble attempt to grunt and smiled. "No more than your arm," she said, reminding him of his previous injury.

He blinked back his surprise at the mention. In all the commotion, he had completely forgotten about his arm. Now that he remembered, the muscles there began to burn…

"Focus on staying awake," he said as he walked out of the room and towards the back entrance.

Relena bounced and shook in his arms as he walked. Despite the constant drooping of her lids, her eyes stayed open.

"Of course, my Yoshitsune," she mumbled, "I believe in you."

。。。。

"I hope they'll be all right, I hope they'll be all right," Hilde mumbled to herself as she rung her hands together, 'round and 'round.

Duo was leading the way through the Tokyo alleys and dark passageways as they tried their best to get to the harbor docks unnoticed, or at least unscathed. Hilde was latched tightly to her mother while her father walked in front of them. The occasional German words passed between them. Sometimes they were directed at Hilde, but the poor girl didn't understand a word. Noin was behind them, alongside Wufei. Both of them were keeping a close watch on Dorothy, sandwiched between the two. Zechs brought up the rear, looking around and behind them to make sure of followers. Nothing had been spotted, yet.

"She'll live," Duo said as quietly as he could, "Heero is the best man I know. He'll ensure her safety.

She nodded, although Wufei could not see her face. Her hands continued to fidget.

Beside him, Dorothy had become silent. Whether she was lying in wait for a chance to do something, or if she had given up, he didn't know. But the unusual silence from her was welcome.

They were still in the Western Quarter, but the streets were becoming more and more curved, with adjacent paths. The grid-like layout of the western streets were becoming more and more Japanese.

"Duo," Zechs called from behind. Duo looked back, but he didn't stop walking. "Time for evasive action,"

"How far behind," Wufei said as he too began to look around.

"Two men. They're staying far back enough to hide behind corners."

"They need to be taken care of," Noin said as she hurried her step.

Duo suddenly stopped as they came to the end of the alley. They almost piled up behind him.

"Duo!" Wufei hissed after he ran right into the back of Hilde's mother. He bowed his apology.

"Please, keep moving!" Hilde whispered as she gripped the back of Duo's jacket. He shook his head.

Zechs turned around to look behind him. He shook his head and sighed in frustration.

"They're either gone or hiding behind something," he said quietly.

"I doubt they've gone anywhere," Wufei mentioned. He heard Dorothy sigh through her nose, as her mouth was effectively covered. He gave her an annoyed side-glance.

"Maxwell-san!" Hilde whispered again, with more urgency.

"I have to make sure it is safe," he said as he glanced up and down the perpendicular street. "Besides, Quatre and Sally won't leave until we are on board the boat."

There were a few people and rickshaws traveling up and down the street, but no soldiers they could see. Looking one way, Hilde pointed towards the other side.

"Look, there's an alley," she said.

Duo looked back towards Zechs, nodding. "Move out in pairs," he said and pulled Hilde towards him. "Wufei with Dorothy, Zechs and Noin with the parents. I'll go first, Wufei last. Here."

He reached out towards Noin, a gun in his hand. "It's loaded," he said as Noin took it from him. She nodded and uneasily tucked the gun into her obi.

"All right," he said, taking a deep breath. "Let's go."

Arm in arm, Duo and Hilde swiftly made their way across the street, side stepping people and rickshaws. Hilde raised her arms just the slightest in an attempt to cover Duo's clothing, his hair, even his face. The wide and long sleeves of her kimono helped some, but Wufei could see as well as anyone else that Duo was foreign. Not to mention that Hilde herself stuck out with the bright colors of her kimono. Once they disappeared into the alley, Noin went.

The next pair was no better, Noin, who was just as noticeable as Hilde, even if her colors were more subdued, took the arm of the German woman and followed Duo across the street.

Next went Zechs with the man. Wufei had to sigh uneasily at the odds of everyone getting out unharmed.

When everyone but himself and Dorothy made it across the street, he gave the area one last look. Everything to his right was clear. When he looked to his left, he took no caution in masking his anger.

An army jeep was slowly turning the corner. Soldiers in green uniforms were at the wheel and in the seats. He was even less happy when he caught a glimpse of the backseat occupants.

The unmistakable faces of Une and Treize were scanning the streets along with their soldier escorts.

"Shit," Wufei muttered to himself.

He quickly looked back to the alley and saw Duo's face peeking out from behind a wall. They locked eyes, Wufei shook his head. There was no way to stay unnoticed now.

He grabbed Dorothy and began to walk as fast as he could across the way. Pulling Dorothy up to walk beside him, he put a hand on her head and pushed it to face the other way.

"Don't look at the jeep," he said sternly, "I said don't look," he stated again as she glanced around.

But it was too late. He knew they had been spotted when he heard the car's engine began to rev, people complained loudly, being shoved out of the way by the advancing vehicle.

Wufei walked faster and faster, willing himself to not look conspicuous. But that would all be meaningless in mere seconds.

"What is it?" Duo asked as soon as Wufei made it to the alley.

"Trieze and Une," he said, "Take her."

Pushing Dorothy forward he took a hold of his sword and turn back towards the street.

"Wait, where are you going?" Duo exclaimed as he lunged after Wufei.

"Get to the harbor," he said, "I'll finish Treize."

。。。。

"I can walk," she said quietly, but made no attempt to escape his arms.

Heero quickly shushed her as he waited for a car to go by. "We can move faster if I carry you," he said.

"But, Heero," she started.

He shushed her again. Looking one last time to ensure they could go unseen, he crossed the street and quickly slipped into an alley.

He had to admit, carrying Relena around the city was wearing him down, but he wasn't going to risk agitating her wound even more. He knew where they had to go, but getting there was the difficult part. As they were now, he couldn't possibly carry Relena to the harbor.

Of course he did make the promise to Hilde, and to Relena, and to himself.

She was still grasping the collar of his kimono, and she wouldn't let go. Sighing to himself, he re-adjusted her in his arms and crouched down against the alley wall. He needed just a minute of rest.

He noticed the Relena's breathing had become less labored, which he was glad for. She was more coherent and was able to stay awake, but she wouldn't stay like that for long, he thought. They had been in such a rush to escape the so called "safe house" that there wasn't enough time to remove the bullet.

…But he had never checked for an exit wound.

Of course. He was suddenly lit on fire, taken aback by his stupidity. He had never considered the possibility that the bullet passed through her. He was so occupied with stopping the blood flow that he didn't think of it at all.

"Relena," he said as he sat her next to him. Her lethargic eyes became focused on him. She didn't say anything.

"I have the open your robes again," he said hastily. A flash of red appeared on Relena's cheeks. This would be entirely different now that she was conscious. "I need to see if the bullet passed through you. If it's still in there, it must be removed."

He tried to be as logical and diplomatic about it, but there was no hiding the fact that he would have to see her bare skin, again.

"Heero, I," she began, her eyes cast downwards. "You do enjoy making a fool of me, don't you?" she said with a chuckle. He knew she was joking, but it sounded so spiteful.

"Please," he said as gently as he could. He cupped her chin with his hand and forced her to look at him. "If the bullet stays in there, you could die. I can't have that," he sighed again as he himself looked away.

The bullet was not the object of his anxiety and frustration, it was something else.

"I won't have that," he said, "I don't know what…" he found that he could not continue. He just didn't have the words to describe what he couldn't even understand. Just holding her face like this now was…against what he told her at the inn, mere hours ago. A person couldn't change their mindset in such a short amount of time, he told himself.

Then again, what if he had already changed, a long time ago?

"All right," she said quietly and reached down to untie the haphazard knot Heero had made earlier. Her fingers were slow to undo the fabric; he itched to push her hands away and do it himself but resisted.

When she had finally pulled apart the knot, she moved on to the kimono itself. She placed one hand over her breasts and the other firmly situated on her hips, to cover her nether region. Her cheeks were flushed bright red, Heero noticed. As she shifted her body to the side, he felt his own face burn beyond comfort.

"I'll only check for an exit wound, that's all," he said, trying to re-assure her. She nodded but didn't say a word.

He said it again in his head, thinking it over and over again like a mantra. The more he thought of it, the less composed he felt himself become; quite the opposite effect he wanted.

His hands lightly traced their way across her porcelain skin. It was the slightest shade of pink and she shivered under his cold fingertips. Her stomach trembled as he passed over it. The skin of his fingers were unusually sensitive, feeling the faint rise of goose bumps as his hands moved closer and closer to the wound.

Then there was the make-shift bandage he fashioned from her obi. He took great care untying knots and pulling fabric from around her backside to the front; until he finally let the blood matted square piece fall to the ground. The wound had stopped bleeding, but it was unsightly, the way the blood marred her skin.

He checked his breathing and tried to get it under control.

Gently, he moved his hands around to her back, feeling for an exit wound. Her spine, the curve of her lower back, her hips, her side; he all felt it intensely. The chill in the air affected her as the small bumps on her skin were now full, making the hairs stand up. It was rough, yet soft to the touch.

He began to worry when he couldn't feel anything but smooth skin. An even more horrific thought was digging through Relena's side in search of the bullet. He knew what it felt like and was afraid she wouldn't be able to survive the pain and shock.

"Heero?" she said.

He shook his head and tried to calm himself. He could feel the panic rising in himself again and he ignored it with all he had.

It had to be there, he told himself. If there wasn't one…

And then he felt it. It was small and much less obscene than the entry wound, but it was there. He felt the damp blood around the area; it must have seeped slowly out after he dammed up the flow with the obi fabric. But it was there, a small hole in her backside, all flesh and muscle.

He let out a sigh of relief as he sat back on his heels.

"It's there," he said to her, "There's an exit wound."

Releasing her own tension, she sighed as well. Not saying a word, she looked up at him and did her best to smile.

She moved at the pace which a turtle walks to re-wrap the dressings and close her kimono. He thought of doing it himself but saw the deliberation in her movements and turned his eyes down instead.

Looking in his lap, he was surprised and angry with himself when he realized that his hands were shaking just the slightest bit. Barely noticeable, but it still shocked him. In this short time they had to rest, everything previously shut out came flowing back with a force.

Relena slumped against his side and rested her head on his shoulders. He didn't make any attempt to move, he didn't feel the need.

He was amazed that she was still willing to talk to him after the scathing answer he gave her at the inn. She hadn't even brought the subject up again. Granted, so much had happened suddenly that prevented her from speaking out, but it was to her credit that even now she was silent. He knew he hurt her, and no doubt she had been carrying it around.

Unbelievable.

He looked down at her. Her eyes weren't closed, she just stared at the opposite alley wall. Her chest slowly rose and fell with her breath. If only things could stay like this, he thought. No chaos or blood; no fighting or death. Just calm, oblivious to the outside world.

He understood how she drew her conclusions. The geisha world was such a closed one. The moment she was sold to the Itoo okiya was like slamming the doors shut in a prison. She probably had never left the limits of Gion, save the cherry blossom party of Khushrenada's.

The way her face changed that day changed something in him. When she tripped over her own kimono sleeve, annoying Wufei to no end, and the despair she emanated when she saw Zechs with Noin. Little did she know then how she fit into the puzzle. They all played perfectly into Khushrenada's plan.

He resisted the anger rising up in him. Khushreanada was responsible for this, he thought. The wound on his arm, the bullet in Catherine, the suffering of Hilde and her parents. Most of all, the pain inflicted on Relena; he would watch Khushrenada die a slow death for that.

She stirred at his side, and the anger disappeared. She was straightening herself, though he could see she barely had the energy for it. She was going to say something, he knew it.

There would be no time in the future, he thought. He had to step up and say everything he didn't understand, but somehow felt.

"Relena," he said.

She stirred again, but gave up as it was too much for her just to move that small bit.

"Yes?"

"I," he began, and as he predicted, he had no idea how to continue. "I don't know what to say," he decided on.

There was no response from her. He could only hear her breathing. Then…

"What do you mean?" she asked and tried to turn her head up to face him. He didn't help her. He wouldn't be able to speak with her looking at him.

"What I said to you at the inn," he said. "It, it was harsh and uncalled for."

"Oh, that," she said as if she was commenting on the weather. "Heero, you don't have to explain yourself."

He shook his head. "You were crying."

"Please don't remind me," she said and rested her head on his shoulder again. He felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards.

"It was uncalled for," he repeated. She sighed.

"You made your intentions very clear. I just refused to acknowledge it. I'm sorry," she retorted.

He sighed. The conversation looked so different in his head. He was supposed to be the one apologizing, not her. If he, Catherine and the rest had just left her alone, would she still be in the Itoo okiya, oblivious to the world around her. Would she still be so innocent as he thought of her.

"Don't apologize," he said, "I should be apologizing."

He heard her huff out a weak laugh. "Heero, there is no need to feel ashamed of what you feel."

What he felt…he truly did not understand. All he knew in his mind was the things he said to her then was not what he felt. He did not want the consequences of those words, yet here he was, holding the victim of them. He drove her out of the inn with those words, and she was shot in the gut for it. Urgency drove him to say something, anything to make her calm, and in the moment, he spoke with too much haste. He could have killed her with them.

"That is not what I…feel," he said, unsure of each word as it came from his mouth.

He waited, and waited for her answer, but none came. Looking down at her, he saw she was staring far off into the distance, looking through the wall towards something beyond. Her lips moved, he didn't hear anything. It was mere moments before she could say anything, but it felt so much longer.

"You," she said, "Do you know what it was then? What you…felt."

"No," he said, quick to answer. It was the truth. He didn't know what it was that made him angry, upset, panicked, frightened. It _was her_, but he didn't understand why.

"But," he began, thinking cautiously, "I made a promise to myself, that I would not let you die."

"And now," she said quietly, "Does that promise still hold?"

She exerted all her present energy to look up at him. He grasped her chin and held her gaze.

"Of course."

"Then, promise me," she said. She clasped his hand tightly, her eyes begged, pleaded with him. "Please, promise me you won't die."

At a loss of words once again, he turned her hand in his and held it even tighter.

"Until you are safe, I will not die," he said.

She frowned and did her best to shake her head.

"No," she said, "Even after that. Even if I never see you again; please promise me that you will live out your days, until you are old and weary."

"Relena, the way things are now…"

"Heero, please."

To live until he was old…he had truthfully never thought of it. With war came death, he only assumed that he would be one to have his light snuffed out early. He had no problem with it. But now she was asking him to refuse that path in life. To live out his days…what could one do with so much time.

With just shells of people in his life, he thought that there was nothing else. And she was asking him to believe there was more. She wanted him to believe he deserved more than death.

Staring into her eyes, he knew nothing else but to trust. She had shown time and time again that people were more than what the seemed. Could he become what she was so sure of.

"I," he said as their eyes remained locked. "I promise. I promise."

* * *

Ahh, chapter 18 done. I tried my best to suck all the sap-ness out of my body, so I hope you are pleased. On that note, I was thinking of removing the HeeroxRelena tag from this story, seeing as there isn't much Heero and Relena to it, and just having Relena as the only tag. I'm curious as to your opinions. 

I was going to write more, but this spot was too perfect to stop at, so I did. Yep, there was going to be more of Wufei and his clash with Treize, and I was going to see how Trowa and Cathering were doing. But it will have to wait until next time. So please anticipate the re-appearance of Trowa and Catherine! They've been so neglected, I've done so many horrible things to her.

I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, please tell me what you think.


	19. chapter 19

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Wing or anything related to it (except my plot!).

Hello, faithful readers. You thought I was dead, didn't you? Alas, I am still here, but I bring very good news. There is only ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT in this story. I certainly didn't think it would be this long when I started it, but what the hey, twenty is a nice round number. I would like to thank all of you who reviewed, I made it to 100! I'm so thankful to you all! My goal when I began this story was to engage the reader well enough to reach 50 reviews. Well, do you think I've done well enough?

All right, enough blather from me. On with the show. Enjoy!

**White Mask** by lmh

Chapter 19

。。。。

Trowa Barton had more than a few things to think about. He, of course, had to think about the all important mission. Relena and Hilde, the two girls had been put together and torn apart as if they were insignificant products to be bought. He had to think of them.

But he wasn't. The moment he saw Catherine on the train, when he dug around in her body for the bullet, he decided he was not going to let anything further befall her.

So he followed Treize, who was lugging his sister around like luggage, transporting her to different locations on his hunt for Relena and Hilde. He would leave her in dark rooms, sometimes of cold temperatures. He never left these places, however. Always forcing his underlings to do the actual searching, he sat back in rooms of luxury and waited. After a negative reply, he moved to the next place.

Along the way Lady Une showed up, and the process intensified. Less care was taken over Catherine, to the point where they left her in the car along with several guards.

And now he was setting his approach. Treize's sentinels had left fifteen minutes before, and he wasn't sure how long their search would keep them. They would have to find for the girls before coming back. Tokyo was a big city.

Trowa watched as three guards leaned against the car. They had guns, rifles hanging from their shoulders. Of course they had pistols as well. Catherine had to be lying on either the front or back seat, he couldn't see her in the windows.

Twenty minutes. He was wasting time waiting for the soldiers to return.

He removed his standard military pistol and intently watched each guard, noticing their patterns and modes of movement. Slipping from the alley, he quietly moved behind the car. He hoped he would be able to knock them out. Firing the gun would attract far too much attention.

He remained low to the ground and crept to his right, parallel to the building. A guard was leaning against the car, trying to light a cigarette.

Trowa let the second pass, waiting for an opening.

The guard tried match after match, cursing at his inability to torch a simple little stick. Finally, when he managed to produce a flame, Trowa bolted.

He was light and quick on his feet. No sooner had the guard look to his side a foot was jammed into his face. Down and out in one moment. The others, alerted to the commotion, ran to Trowa's side of the car, their guns raised. He took the sight of them both, and being met by the barrel of a gun. He ducked to the ground, crouching on his feet. The gun fired and he heard the cracking of bone and a sickening thud. The guard behind him was motionless.

He turned to face the one in front, who was still stunned, staring wide-eyed at his comrade lying on the ground. His mind was far too shocked to catch up with Trowa's speed.

A simple hit to the face was enough to subdue the guard. He was gone like the first, hardly any contest.

It tore at his chest to know he inadvertently caused the death of another. He of all people knew what life meant to those who were in constant danger of losing it. But thoughts of Catherine blinded him, and she was so close to losing her life.

Reaching for the door handle, he opened it. He had to move fast, that gun shot would certainly be heard by anyone who was around. He climbed into the cabin and saw Catherine splayed out on the backseat, her kimono in disarray and her hair loose and flowing. The bandage he had tied around her wound was still there.

She looked unconscious, but he couldn't be sure. Somewhere in the back of his head he feared the worst. He knelt beside her and touched her face.

"Catherine," he said gently.

She stirred the slightest bit and smiled, her eyes still closed.

"You idiot. I told you to follow Treize."

He chuckled quietly to himself and returned the smile.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She waved it aside with her hand and tried to raise herself up. Trowa quickly caught her back and pulled her towards him.

"Careful," he admonished.

"What happened to everyone? Do you know?" she asked. Trowa shook his head.

"I've been following you since the train," he said, "Heero escaped with Relena that night. I haven't heard from anyone else."

Catherine sighed to herself as she hung her head.

"Everything is in shambles," she said, "I never thought Treize would move as quickly as he did. He is far more intuitive than I anticipated."

"He had three women working for him, all in close proximity to Hilde and Relena, and he was your _danna_. It was a tight situation," he replied. She was trying to blame herself, he wouldn't let her.

"But it was all my decision. I headed the mission, and I designed the roles. I should never have thought I could outsmart both Treize and Une together."

"Catherine, no," he said, holding her shoulders firmly. "The world is in an impossible situation, unpredictable even."

She looked into his eyes and smiled with a tinge of sorrow. They both knew what each was trying to do, and neither of them was able to convince the other. Catherine raised and arm and touched his.

"So where do we go from here?" she asked.

"We should go to the wharf, that was the original plan, and we should stick to it."

"You said Relena is safe with Heero?" she said, still thinking of her younger sister.

"Yes," said Trowa, "I have no doubts of his abilities."

She nodded and winced as she moved. "Neither do I," she said, slowly swinging her legs over the seat and onto the floor.

"Do you think Quatre has a steamer ready?" she asked.

"I hope so," he said.

She nodded again, then looked to the dashboard controls. "Trowa," she said, "Look for the keys."

He didn't need to hear anymore as he nimbly crawled into the front seat. There was nothing sticking out of the ignition, and no sign of anything on the seat. He looked above and below, side to side, in every pocket. No Keys. He swore.

"No matter," Catherine said as she tried to slip out the door. "We aren't that far, I could hear the sounds of ship horns and the water as we drove here."

He glanced back at her and watched as she endured the pain to simply move. Quickly, he exited through the front passenger door and went to her side.

"Can you make it all the way? You can barely walk now." He held onto her arm as she tried to steady herself on the road. She gently pushed him away and took an uneasy step.

"If Relena can continue with the pain of the truth over her, then I must do the same."

He watched as she moved down the road, past the car, slowly but surely.

"Catherine," he called as he went after her.

"Trowa, I was so foolish. I fell right into the trap Treize set for me. Those two Germans are Hilde's parents. Relena is once again alone."

He stopped where he was. The Germans were Hilde's parents?

"Catherine," he said again.

She didn't look at him as she stopped and removed the top layer or her kimono. The beautiful fabric fell to the ground and pooled around her feet. All she had now were the white under robes.

"I messed it all up, Trowa. All that we have worked for, I destroyed."

He walked to her side and took her arm in his. "Lean on me," he said, "I've been leaning on you all my life. Now you need some time to rest."

She finally looked up at him, a bitter smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

"It's my-"

"No," he said forcefully, not letting her say it.

She paused…then nodded and continued walking. He pulled her to the side and down an alley, taking them out of the lamp light.

。。。。

Wufei stood beside a street lamp, in plain view of Treize and the advancing car. Behind him, Duo, Hilde and the rest were escaping to the harbor. The sky showed the minutest hint of light and people were out and about already, preparing themselves for another day of sales and business.

Wufei watched at the car came closer and closer. Passerby looked at him with fear as he pulled his sheathed sword from his obi belt. He no longer cared if people saw him. The police certainly wouldn't do anything with Treize so close, and if Treize was the man Wufei thought him to be, he wouldn't resist the chance to look as a glorious general would in front of his soldiers.

The car stopped feet from him. Une was in the backseat with Treize, glaring Wufei down. The contempt and anger in her face was unmistakable. The soldiers in the front seat seemed as if they itched to tear Wufe to shreds with their bullets. He almost smirked. Then Treize turned his head, they locked eyes.

"Mr. Chang," Treize said in his foreign drawl. Wufei wasn't surprised he knew his name. He supposed that information on them all had been laid out before Treize to mill over and study.

"Who did it?" Wufei demanded. "Who told you about us?"

Treize chuckled to himself. "You think you were betrayed? Fear not. Dorothy did enough to get me going. All I had to do was fill in the gaps, which wasn't difficult, I assure you."

It was Wufei's turn to chuckle as he brought the sword out in front of him.

"We've been dancing in your hand the entire time," he said.

"I'm afraid so. Dear Catherine thought she was doing so well. It's a pity, really."

"There is no need for your pity," Wufei snapped as he gripped the sword harder.

"You're all about to die," Une interjected loudly, "You should be grateful Lord Treize is willing to let you live a little longer."

Wufei took a step forward and changed the sword to his other hand, ready to pull it out at a moment's notice.

Treize held up a hand to silence Une. "Please, Lady, there is no need for that."

She shut her mouth immediately, but did not stop her deadly glare.

"Mr. Chang," Treize began, "You can save yourself now if you step out of the way and let me claim my prize."

Wufei didn't move. "Don't pretend you're going to let me live," he said. Treize nodded as he smiled.

"Of course," he said and turned to the guards. "Shoot him."

Pistols were on Wufei before he could unsheathe his sword. He lunged to his left, pressing himself against the car. He took no time in releasing his sword and stabbing it into the cabin of the car.

A grunt and a frightened yell came from the front seat. As he looked up, he saw his sword lodged in the head of a soldier. He cursed himself for being so careless, the sword wouldn't come loose easily.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw an ornate gun near his head. He ducked just as Treize fired a shot, and had to move again as the gun followed Wufei.

Wufei planted his foot on the car door and forcefully pushed off, finally dislodging the sword. He had to run behind the car as Trieze fired again.

He heard the sound of the door opening, and he saw the other soldier get out, a standard military rifle in his hands. Wrong move.

Wufei darted towards the man and knocked him over. One slash on the hands and knees was enough to disable him. The soldier writhed around on the ground, crying loudly as he tried to clutch his knees.

People were screaming around him as they ran, scattering like dead leaves. Vendors abandoned their posts as they scrambled to disappear. Wufei turned back to Trieze, taking a few steps back. Droplets of blood fell from his sword and marked the gravel road.

Trieze sighed to himself as he opened the car door. Une grabbed onto his jacket and tried to pull him back.

"Please, Lord Treize, don't," she said with urgency in her voice.

"Be at ease, Lady," he said and gently pushed her hand off him. Stepping out of the car, he held his ornate gun in plain view. He walked round the other side to face Wufei.

"There's no one left to do your bidding," Wufei said.

"Indeed, no," Treize said as he stood his ground. "There will be more coming."

"I'll be finished with you before then."

Trieze smiled gently as he looked down at Wufei. "I wish you would take some time to understand my situation."

"Your situation?"

"Yes," said Treize, "I must to answer to an authority, I have duties I must perform, just as you do."

"No," Wufei interrupted, "I'm nothing like you. I am not trying to kill innocent people. I am not ruining the lives of many, all for some sick ideals of a mad man halfway across the globe. You and I are very different."

Treize nodded to himself as he put his gun back in its holster. Wufei frowned, carefully watching Treize's movements.

"Perhaps," he said, "Let's finish this then, shall we? I have little time to spend chatting with you."

He put his hand on the hilt of his ornate European fencing sword and removed from its sheath with a flourish.

"We should do this is the tried and true way, giving a nod to the generals of old."

"You and your ridiculous sentiments," Wufei muttered to himself as he took his stance. Treize said nothing as he saluted his opponent.

"_En guard_."

He took his position, readying himself for an attack.

They locked eyes for the slightest moment. It was the moment before the thrust, when they sized each other up. In reality it would only be a mere second, but to them, it stretched on for ages.

Wufei thought he could feel every muscle in his body, ready to shoot off when needed. He could see the individual lashes of Treize's eyes, the bright color of his irises. They were confident and unwavering, knowing that he would be the victor, but Wufei matched him in every aspect.

Without notice, he closed the gap between them, thrusting and slashing at Treize who easily dodged them. He parried endlessly and Wufei advanced. The slim foil whipped it's way around Wufei, tapping away at the Chinese dao.

Then he slipped. It was so minor he didn't even realize until he jumped back in pain. A slight stinging told him he had been cut on his arm.

"Very good, Mr. Chang," Treize said.

Wufei scowled and readied himself again. "Is it really worth it, having the blood of so many on your hands, all for one man?"

"Of course," he replied. "When one has lived in poverty for such a long time, it is natural they would do anything to seize a favorable opportunity."

"At what cost?" Wufei said, clipping his words in anger, "Why are the lives of three people so important?"

"Because," he said as he suddenly leapt forward. Wufei had to shield himself, barely missing the chance to have a gaping laceration in his face.

"It's all I have left."

Mustering his strength, Wufei pushed back, forcing Treize to step backwards. The gap was open. They stared each other down and began to circle. He sensed Lady Une somewhere near, her sense of loyalty to Treize was overbearing.

Focus, he thought to himself. The car, the street, the people, were of no consequence now. He couldn't let this man get any father than this street. In the back of his head he wondered how far Duo and the others could have gotten by now. Not very far, he surmised.

Focus!

Treize stepped forward, his movements graceful but precise. Wufei had difficulty moving in on him. His sword strokes were short. They shot out and stabbed at Wufei. Before he could parry or even get at Treize, the foil was retracted. Wufei had to constrict his own movement to keep up.

He was relentless, coming at Wufei again and again. He had to duck and turn, back-track his steps. He was pushed against the car and tripping over the soldiers bodies. Until he saw it.

There it was. When Treize lunged out to strike there was a tiny opening. It was so obvious, Wufei couldn't believe he didn't see it before. Under his thrusting arm, if Wufei could get at it then he could turn the duel to his control.

He pulled back, out of Treize's reach. He surveyed the area. All the people were either gone or hiding. Une was still in the back seat of the car watching intently. Treize stepped back as well and put his sword in a resting position.

"What are you waiting for, Mr. Chang?" he asked as he smirked.

Wufei kept his face as an impassive rock. He would not look at the open spot, he would not give himself away.

"All you have left lies in the lives of three insignificant people," he said.

Treize smiled a wry smile as he chuckled to himself. "Indeed. Though, I would not think them so insignificant."

"What is so important about them? All you're doing is appeasing the vanity of a mad man."

"No," Treize said, his smile suddenly gone. "All I have left is vanity. If the lives of three people mean I can regain the respect and honor I once had, then so be it."

"Treize," Wufei said as he shook his head, "How despicable of you. There is nothing respectable, or honorable about killing people that have nothing to do with you."

"They have everything to do with my Fuhrer," he said, so quiet and difficult to hear.

He hung his head and looked at the ground. Wufei shook his head even more, this man was willingly letting his guard down. He wasn't sure if he should attack or listen to what he had to say. The long pauses in his speech let on he was about to say something more.

"It is a terrible way to live, isn't it?" he said. "Life is so precious. Yet, when it comes down to it, You still value only your own."

"What are you talking about?" Wufei said. He began to circle away from the car.

Treize raised his head and smiled at Wufei. His eyes were forgiving, sad even. He looked as Wufei with such an amicable face, it was as if they could have been comrades. "I will be different," he said.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Wufei shouted as he readied himself again.

"Chang," Treize began as he saluted with his sword, "Have you ever thought about your purpose?"

"Enough talk!" Wufei yelled. He was on the balls of his feet, ready to pounce.

"You will end this," he said.

With the pace of a devil, Treize lunged at Wufei, his arm outstretched, aiming to skewer him alive. Wufei ducked to the ground and brought his sword to his chest, the weak spot was still open. He didn't hesitate, he shot forward and stuck his sword in Treize's middle. It went in so smooth and easy. A loud ringing could be heard in his ear.

And Treize just stood there with his sword hanging in midair, and a ridiculous smile on his face. The ringing got louder as Wufei followed it to the car. It was Une, her eyes wide and pain in her voice.

As Wufei pulled away, he thought of how easy it had been to beat this supposed master swordsman.

"No," he said as he watched Treize's smile turn into a grimace.

"Chang Wufei," he said as he fell to the ground. Une suddenly appeared at his side, catching him as he fell.

"Lord Treize," she said.

"You did that on purpose," Wufei said as he took a step backwards. "You left yourself open on purpose!"

Treize clung on to Une as he looked up at Wufei. He heaved his lungs up and down, his breath fast, and blood pouring out his center. He chuckled to himself.

"I used to be on such good terms with him," he said, "Then things fell apart, and I was moved to where I might be of use."

"Lord Treize, please, quiet," Une murmured. There were tears in her eyes and she desperately tried to cover the wound in his stomach. But Treize would not be silenced. He grated out every word, one of them could be his last.

"Such an intricate web," he said as blood bubbled up through his mouth. "Thank you, Chang Wufei, for ending it."

Wufei shook his head as he watched Treize's eyes close. "How dare you," he whispered as Une pulled Treize to her chest and wept.

He finally pulled his head up to look at the street surrounding him. People began to come out of the woodwork. They peaked from around corners and held their hands to their mouths in shock of what just traversed.

Wufei couldn't believe the audacity Treize had. He was so desperate for everything to end, how dare he give up. It was something Wufei despised, how could he give up? How insulting! And sad, disappointing. This body before him created a web for so many people, when he himself was already being controlled like a puppet.

But it still gave him no right to take the coward's way out.

Une held nothing back as she cried over Treize's body. Wufei looked at the fallen soldiers, at Une, Treize, and the people trickling out onto the street.

"He had no right, I should have lost," he said.

With one last devastated scowl at that man, Wufei sheathed his sword and ran into the retreating shadows. Daylight was coming on their tail.

。。。。

The water lapped gently up against the side of the steamboat. Well, it was much more than a boat, a proper ship actually, but it was far smaller than the vessels surrounding it at the docks.

Duo counted the heads of soldiers that were pacing around the docks. He wanted to say they were Treize's soldiers, but he couldn't tell in the light of early dawn. It would be an honest chore to get around all these men, and with the circus he was toting around, there was no way they could go unnoticed.

Hilde was behind him with her parents quietly fussing over her. Zechs and Noin brought up the rear, and were ever watchful of them being followed. So far, nothing had caught their attention yet.

He was less than happy that they had lost Wufei, or rather, he had chose to stay behind. With their worst nightmare advancing, Duo had to admit that Wufei made a good choice. But it was still a bitter fact that they were dropping like flies. Catherine, Trowa, Relena and Heero. It was just him, Quatre and Sally left. If he looked hard enough he could barely see the golden tint of Quatre's hair through the windows on the bridge.

"Damn fool," he muttered to himself. A few moments later the blonde head of hair disappeared from sight. Duo smiled to himself as he nodded.

"Right," he said and turned to face his companions. "We need to get through all those soldiers and on that ship."

Hilde peered over his head and tried to survey the area. She shook her head and frowned.

"Impossible," she whispered, "There are at least five soldiers to one of us, we'll never make it across."

"Don't say that, you've already defeated yourself. Only losers talk like that," Duo said.

Hilde scoffed as she laughed sarcastically. "Isn't that what we are?"

"Oh," he began, the jovial tone of his voice gone, but he couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, that's us for ya."

"Hilde's right," said Noin from behind. "There is no way we can get across without a diversion of some kind."

Duo shook his head. "No. I'm not going to loose another person like we did with Wu Fei."

"Even if we do get to the ship, they'll be on us before we can cast off," Noin interjected.

"What about Relena? And Megumi-san?" Hilde said, "We can't leave without them either."

"Well, we can't sit and wait to be found," Zechs said.

"How can you talk like that?" Hilde said, her voice rising, "She is your sister, haven't you done enough to her?"

Zechs' eyes narrowed as he glared at Hilde. "I would not speak so freely if I were you," he said in low tones.

"Hey!" Duo hissed and stepped in front of Hilde, "Can we not go at each other like this? Come on!"

The two of them locked eyes for a second before splitting and looking off in different directions. Duo sighed as he glanced between them and turned back to the problem at hand. They had to be a solid group on this, or else they could kiss their chance at life goodbye.

Hilde's parents were whispering between each other, her mother placing a protective pair of hands on her shoulders. And there was the two them, the most important "cargo" of all. He didn't care so much if he got out of this mess, just as long as Hilde and her parents lived. If only he could communicate with them.

"Where the hell are Heero and Trowa," he muttered.

The last time he had seen Trowa was along while ago, not to mention Catherine. As far as he could tell they were both dead. He hadn't seen what Treize did to her, but the way Heero described it, there was a lot of crying, a lot of screaming, and a lot of blood.

He shook his head at the thought. They were in the shit right from the beginning. It was originally thought that Treize and Une were the only people they were up against. Of course, it was different. Noin, Zechs, and Dorothy were all in on it. Curse them all, he thought with a wry smile.

"Duo," Zechs called from behind.

Duo turned, along with the rest to look at Zechs. He was frowning, yet there was a strange resolve on his face. Duo chuckled to himself as he looked down at his feet and kicked some dirt and grime around. He shook his head again and ginned at Zechs.

"You're going to tell me to climb aboard, while you distract them, yeah?"

Zechs opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. Duo chuckled again, he hit it right on the head.

Noin stepped up as she shook Zechs gently. "No, I will not let you do that, not after what we've been through," she said.

He shrugged her off and ignored what she was saying. He looked back at Duo. "I'm the most obvious choice. They may be Treize's soldiers, I may have some sway over them."

"Like hell you will," Duo laughed. Hilde looked at him and gulped. She could see what was coming.

"You can't be sure," Zechs began, but Duo interrupted.

"Yeah, I can, actually. It's been a few days since Noin cut ties with Une. Do you really think that Treize's soldiers will take orders from you?"

Zhechs frowned, "I-"

"You'll do nothing," Duo said. He nodded hastily as Zechs began to protest. "It's like Hilde said. Relena is your sister. Yeah, you screwed things up, big time, but you can make it right now."

Zechs looked away as he massaged the muscles in his arm. They were taught, flexing with his frustration and anger. Noin slipped her hand over his biceps and squeezed gently.

"He's right, Zechs. Who else will Relena turn to if not you?"

Zechs shook his head as he tried to turn away. Noin held him in his place.

"You need to live, Zechs," Duo said, "It's so simple, why are we arguing about it?"

Duo turned back around to look out over the docks again. There were large crates and mounds of thick rope lying all over the place. They could hide behind all this junk while inching closer to the ship, but they still needed something to distract the soldiers. There was only open air from a cluster of crates to the gangway. Getting up that walkway unnoticed would be a miracle.

He took in a deep breath before sighing. He turned around.

"Right," he said, "Seeing as you've all got someone important to cling to, that leaves me to distract them."

Zechs still had his face turned the other way, but Noin and Hilde were obviously not pleased. Their eyes widened and their bodies froze for the slightest second. Hilde shook her head.

"I thought we weren't going to lose anyone else," she said.

Duo shrugged his shoulders. "I guess you'll have to lose one more," he said with a wry smile. Hilde frowned.

"You're not gallant in doing this, I hope you know," she said.

"Oh god," he laughed, "That's Heero. He's always getting his kicks playing the doomed champion."

But Hilde didn't laugh, she didn't smile. She only frowned at him, and while she looked quite angry before him, he knew she was about to burst. It was…flattering, to say the least. He smiled at the thought.

"Listen," he said, "You've got your parents and vice versa. Zechs and Noin have each other. That leaves me, the odd man out."

"Duo…" Hilde began, but a scuffling somewhere behind caught their attention.

Duo grabbed Hilde's arm and pushed her behind him, as did Zechs and Noin for Hilde's parents. The two men exchanged wary glances before Zechs took out a pistol. No one dared to breathe. This could be it, their mission failed…

Or not.

They saw a soldier in uniform, though they could not match any known insignia. He was practically dragging a woman in white with him, supporting her weight as she struggled to push herself over the wooden boards of the docks.

Hilde gasped as she shrugged Duo off her.

"Hilde!" he hissed as she ran towards the figures.

Her parents tried to take hold of her, quietly urging in German, but she slapped at their hands and continued to scuttle away.

"Megumi-san!" she said as she took the woman's other arm.

Duo wanted to sigh in relief, he truly did, but surprise got the best of him. His breath caught in his throat as he saw Trowa and Catherine emerge from the shadows, moving as quietly as they could.

He tried to move his eyes away from the shirtless Trowa, his shoulders encased in only his military jacket, but it was too comical. The man had some formidable gumption. Catherine was wincing with every step she took.

"Kazue," she said as her eyes drooped. "Hilde."

"Megumi-san, I saw what Khushrenada did at the tea house. I should have done something, called someone. Then…then you and Relena, it wouldn't have been like this…I'm sorry, so sorry," Hilde said, her words leaving her faster than a bird flew.

Catherine shook her head. "You silly girl," she breathed, "I am the one who is sorry. All this time, I thought they were after Relena, but it was you," she reached up to touch Hilde's cheek. "It was you they wanted."

"Megumi-san," Hilde whispered.

Duo cleared his throat as he walked towards Trowa. They nodded to each other and clasped hands.

"Well this is a merry surprise," Duo said. Trowa smiled.

"Sorry I took so long," he said.

"Nah," Duo said, shaking his head. "Now that you're here, let's get on with the show."

"Wait," Hilde said, "You have to stop him. He's going to be stupid and play the hero."

"What?" Trowa said as he looked towards Duo.

Shrugging his shoulders, Duo glanced at Hilde before addressing Trowa. "We have all we need right here, and daylight is gaining on us."

"But–" Hilde began.

"Where's Wufei?" Trowa asked.

"He stayed behind, to let us escape Treize," Duo said solemnly.

Trowa nodded as he hung his head for a few moments. He sighed before raising himself up again.

"Let's go then, shall we?"

"What?" Hilde said as she looked between the two with anger and disbelief. "What about Relena?"

Duo, Trowa and Catherine exchanged uneasy glances before turning to Hilde.

"Heero will take care of her, so come on."

"No, I can't believe this. You're going to leave Relena behind? Zechs, you're not going along with this?" she said.

Zechs glared at Duo and he thought he could hear a low grumble upder his breath.

"Heero told us, before he went to the tea house, if anyone fell behind, besides you and your parents, we were to leave on time, according to the plan. As it is, we're way behind schedule," Duo said.

"No. No, no!" Hilde said and pushed him on the shoulder. "Plan? Forget the plan, Relena is still out there!"

"But she is not the target," Catherine said.

Hilde's mouth hung open as she held onto Catherine. "Megumi-san, you can't be serious. She's your younger sister."

"I have complete trust in Heero," she said, but her voice quivered. "The target is you and your parents. We must get you out; it is of the utmost importance."

Hilde shook her head as she turned to Zechs, "You can't let them do this, to your sister."

Zechs looked down at her as he frowned. With a sideways glance to Noin, he sighed.

"You need to get out of here," he said.

"Thank you!" Duo hissed.

"But I am staying."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Catherine, but I cannot trust her to anyone but myself," Zechs said as he placed a sincere hand on his chest. Duo scoffed as he crossed his arms.

"You've proven to be such a help so far," he said with a sarcastic tone.

"Duo…" Catherine chastised.

"Zechs," Noin said as she gripped his arm, "Are you sure?"

He paused as he looked at the ground, his eyes glazed over and the focus went out. He nodded as Noin squeezed him.

"Then I'm staying too," she said.

"Woah," Duo said as she shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I will not have any of this."

"It is not your decision to make," Noin snapped as she scowled at him.

"What do you think Treize will do to you if he finds you?"

"You put so much trust in Heero. Did you ever stop to think that we might be reliable as well?"

"Oh, sorry. I must not have read your glowing record of good deeds."

"I don't appreciate the sarcasm, Maxwell," Zechs ground out.

"Everybody wants to play hero today, huh?" Duo said, "Yesterday they were trying to kill us, now they want to be good Samaritans!"

"That's enough!" Catherine hissed, quieting their growing voices. Trowa held onto her and whispered words in her ear. She calmed the slightest, her outburst taking valuable energy from her. "Let them do what they want, Duo. All we need to think about is Hilde and her parents."

"What if I don't agree with this?" Hilde piped.

"Then that's too damn bad," Duo said as he rifled through his coat pockets.

The sun was coming up over the city, and they needed to move. His hand wrapped its fingers around a few loose papers. Catherine's eyes widened as she saw him pull the papers out.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked, "Crumpled up like scrap paper? Duo, I told you to keep it in a safe place."

Duo grinned sheepishly before taking a hold of Hilde's hands and slapping the papers down.

"These are legal papers that will enable you and your family to get into America safely."

"America!" Hilde said breathlessly. "Why are you giving them to me? Shouldn't you be the one to help us enter your country?"

"Shut up and listen," Duo said with a bitter grin on his face. "You will be stopped at the harbor in San Francisco. Give them these papers and tell them my name. You'll receive all the help you need if you do."

"But, Duo…"

"After that, go where you want, but do not leave America, not until this damn war is over."

"War?"

"Yeah, war," Duo said and nodded. "Now, there's also a paper with helpful English phrases and words, it'll do, I hope."

"You have to come with," she said, pleaded with her eyes. If the situation wasn't so dire, he's cave to her. But alas, his hands were tied behind his damn back.

"Diversion," he said and pointed to himself, "Remember?"

"But…"

He chuckled to himself as he watched her eyes well up. She was quite the little trooper, really. It was a wonder an outspoken feisty little thing could be found in that timid apprentice geisha that served him sake. It seemed as if decades had passed since that time, and he was disappointed to see it go. He couldn't have more parties like that, where he could see his friends gathered in once place without the looming air of duty and war hanging over them.

"You ain't so tough," he said as he wiped a tear away with his thumb.

"This is all wrong," she said as he gripped her shoulders. "Relena and I were supposed to be great friends. We were supposed to raise enough money, then escape the okiya. I ruined everything."

"Nonsense," Duo said as he spun her around. "It was other people." He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You can't control everything, kid. Focus on what you have now."

He stepped away from her, backing into the remaining shadows. She glanced over her shoulder for a last look at him. Damn, life sure was funny.

"Wait until I draw them away from this area," he said to Trowa and Catherine. They nodded, smiling. He shook his head at them, he could see the look in their eyes, wanting to say something, but he wouldn't let them. Goodbyes like that were far too depressing. If he had to go out, it would be like a rowdy cowboy in a Wild Bill Hickok show.

"Give me a gun," he said. Trowa promptly picked one out of the lining of his jacket. Duo nodded in thanks.

"Say hey to Quatre and Sally for me," he said as he backed further away, away from their eyes and away from their presence. He probably wouldn't see them again, but there was a small consolation in the fact that they were to live because of him. He got to play hero today.

As he ducked around a pile of ropes and darted down a corridor of crates, he thought he saw, out of the corner of his eye, a figure moving in the distance.

。。。。

Relena gasped as a sharp pain shot through her body, emanating from her side. She crumpled against Heero and clutched onto the nearest crate. Heero immediately stopped, but he didn't loosen his firm grip on her.

"Are you all right?" he said.

She nodded as she righted herself. The walk from their little hovel in an alley was nothing short of a miracle. Here were the docks before them, smelling of fish and sea water, and they were still alive. The city was crawling with soldiers, but sometime, when the sun began to paint bright streaks of yellow and pink in the sky, the soldiers ran off, away from them. Whether they had been called away or were attracted to some disturbance, Heero didn't stop to ruminate over it. They plowed right on to their destination, hoping they hadn't missed their chance.

In fact, they were both quite surprised to see a few boats in the harbor, even more surprised when Heero recognized the one Quatre and Sally commandeered. Relena felt a glimmer of hope well up in her, then she saw the soldiers patrolling the dock, then her wound began to flare up in pain.

"We're almost there," he said to her, quietly, encouraging her. His voice washed over her like honey and calmed her.

"Where is everyone else?" she said as she tried to look around. The large crates and bundles of rope made it hard to survey the area, however.

"Probably on the boat."

"Do you think they would wait for us?" she asked. The sounds of water sloshing about resonated in her ears, and there was silence from him. She turned to look at him when he didn't answer. "Heero?" she said, inquiring after him, pleading in her mind that there was someone waiting for them.

"No," he said, "I told them not to."

She held her breath as she heard him speak. They had come so far, gone through so much, and there was no to help them make the last leap? She shook her head and felt the heat rising in her cheeks.

"Heero, you didn't."

"I did," he said, "I told them, if anyone took too long to make it to the wharf, then the rest were supposed to leave."

"But…why, after what we went through. Being shot at and crawling our way through the streets, in my tabi socks no less, with just scraps of a kimono…Heero, no."

"Yes, Relena," he said. He didn't look away for her, and he didn't apologize. After what was said, he still had this up his sleeve.

"Oh, god," she whispered between breaths. Tears full of fear stung in the corners of her eyes. That small glimmer of hope vanished along with all happy thoughts. She glanced around, desperately searching for someplace else to look besides Heero's eyes.

"Relena," he said, chanting it again and again to calm her. "Relena…Relena, listen."

She clutched onto the collar of his kimono and glared into his chest. "What about your promise? Are we going to die here?"

"No," he said, almost cutting her off, "I promised you I would not let you die. Look, look. The ship is still there, no one has left. Until that boat moves, we still have an exit."

"I can't believe you would tell them that," she said. Or perhaps she could believe it. He had probably figured that if anyone was going to be left behind, it would wind up being him. Typical.

"Listen, Relena," he said and placed his palm on her cheeks. "I promised you. You will not die."

She sighed as she rolled her eyes. "I'm not worried about myself so much as I'm worried about what you'll do to yourself. Heero, you musn't leave yourself here."

"Relena…" he began, bunching her hair up in his fist.

She saw his eyes soften, just before his body tensed up and he looked over her shoulder. His eye widened and before she could reach for his face, she was tugged down, hitting the planks as she fell on top of Heero. A crate behind them exploded and sent pieces and splinters of wood flying everywhere.

Relena cried out, in surprise or pain, either one would suffice. How…? They were so close, and then being shot at. Her breaths came short and panicked as she heard shouting and bullets being fired, ricocheting off metal. Glancing up, she saw the propellers on the steam ship roar to life. Black smoke erupted from pipes aboard and plumed into the pink and yellow sky. They were leaving, leaving without them.

"Heero," she said as she shook him, "Heero!"

He pushed himself out from under her and looked towards the ship. He cursed to himself as crouched down low. He put a hand to her shoulder and kept her from rising.

"Stay down," he shouted over the noise.

She propped herself up and leaned back on her elbows. She winced as she felt the wood wedge into her skin. She saw movement behind Heero. She patted him on the shoulder as she saw a figure, hunched over, bounding towards them.

As soon as Heero glanced behind them, Wufei leapt out of the shadows and ran, shoulders first, into the crate opposite of them.

"Chang!" Relena exclaimed as she watched him regain his balance and awareness.

"I came as fast as I could," he yelled across the way.

"Where are the others? Duo's group?" Heero said.

Wufei yelled in surprise as he dodged several bullets coming his way. "They went ahead of me. I stayed behind to fight Treize."

"And?"

"He's dead. I killed him."

Relena froze, despite her surroundings. Treize was dead, gone, no more. He had brought so much suffering on her and Hilde. She wanted to cry out in joy, congratulate Wufei and dance her happiness, but she was not happy. Something in Wufei's eyes suggested it. There was anger, and regret, but most of all disappointment.

Heero took the information in as expected. He nodded his head before inquiring after Duo and the rest again.

"I'm assuming that's them," Wufei said as he watched ropes being pulled away from the dock and into the boat.

"I have to get Relena on that ship," Heero said.

"As well as us," Wufei said, "I'm not staying in this country another damn minute!"

Heero nodded and some odd hand signals were exchanged between them. Wufei say up on his heels before darting down the alleyway. The bullets did not follow him. Instead, the gunfire was directed away from them. Heero frowned. If it wasn't them being shot at, who was.

He snaked his arm around Relena's waist and hoisted her up, supporting some of her weight. They crawled along the plank until there was a gap between themselves and the ship. Relena breathed in and out, trying to calm herself. They were so close to freedom.

She turned to look out onto the open area of the docks. There, slumped against a crate, a bloody hand pressing against a bloody stomach, was Duo.

"Heero, look!" she said and pointed.

He followed her line of sight and cursed when he saw Duo sitting there, gun in hand, trying to refill the barrel. The bullets slipped out of his bloody hands and bounced off the dock into the water. He would be out if he continued like that.

"Duo," Relena said as she covered her mouth in shock. The man was bleeding out, slouched against a crate, waiting for his end. She didn't want to see it end this way.

"Do you have a gun?" Heero asked Wufei, who shook his head.

"What do we do?" Relena asked, but the men didn't answer her. She chewed on her thumb, desperate for something, anything to help Duo.

"Here."

Heero whipped around. It was Milliardo, and Kayumi…Noin.

"Milliardo!" Relena exclaimed.

"What?" Heero said.

Milliardo held out a pistol, offering it to Heero. "You're going to save Maxwell, I suppose? You'll need this."

Heero shook his head. I need you to cover me."

"Cover you?" Relena said, "What do you mean? You're going out into that?"

"Get down!" Wufei yelled just before a large something flew past and exploded behind them. "Gun! Gun!" he said. In one fluid motion, Kayumi pulled a pistol from her obi and flung it at Wufei. He caught it with the greatest ease and aimed it at the head of soldiers in green.

"Dammit. I didn't know I'd be repenting so soon, damn karma," he said to himself. He turned to Heero, "I've got you covered."

She felt Heero sigh against her before he nodded. Turning to Milliardo, he relinquished his hold on her, and pushed her towards her brother. Relena knew what was coming, yet the shock held her tongue.

"Get her on the ship," he said. Milliardo was nodding and pulling her away before she could even process the words.

"Heero," she said. Milliardo handed his gun to Kayumi, who checked the barrel and loaded it with frightening precision. Relena turned to Heero again.

"Heero," she said as she latched onto his sleeve. "You said–"

"No, listen, you will go on that ship and you will live," he said.

She shook her head, "But you promised. You can't break your promise."

"I can't leave Duo to die either," he said.

"I know…but, you'll make it on to the ship, won't you?" she said, hopefully, demanding he say yes.

But he said nothing. He gazed at her with remorse written all over his face. His hand moved towards her, but he thought better of it. With a last glance towards Milliardo, he nodded.

"I'm sorry. This is all I can do for you," he said.

"Wha…" she began.

He bolted out into the open air, dodging bullets this way and that. Wufei followed his every move, clearing the way and sniping off soldiers with amazing precision.

Relena struggled against Milliardo. Her side cried out in pain, but she wasn't paying any attention to that. No, no. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. He made a promise, they promised each other. They would live until a ripe old age. He couldn't, he wouldn't.

"Heero!" she screamed as Milliardo picked her up and ran. Kayumi followed closely, firing off shots here and there.

Glancing ahead of them, she saw the ship move and the propellers twisting in circles, pushing the ship forward, away from the dock.

"No!" She yelled. "You promised me!"

Milliardo and Noin took a leaping jump onto the ship. No sooner had they crash landed, they were surrounded by familiar faces. Quatre Winner, Sally, Megumi-san, and Hilde.

"Relena!" she said as she swooped down and engulfed her in her arms. "I'm so sorry, so sorry!" she said, over and over again.

Relena didn't listen. She pushed away from Hilde and hobbled to the side of the ship, gripping to the lip of the wall. She watched Heero, Duo and Wufei crawl, fight, fire their way through this impossible situation. How was it that she got to live, when they didn't.

He promised her. She wanted to believe he would make it, that he would live, but it was bleak. Yet the sun was rising in full glory. Daylight was finally on top of them. She pounded her fist against the ship wall and sobbed. She was powerless, she always had been. No matter what she thought she could do, it was never in her control.

All she could do was watch as Heero, the docks, and Japan became a black spot on the vast grey ocean.

* * *

There it is, the second to the last chapter in this story. As you may have guessed, your reviews mean so much to me. Just this night before, I was looking over the reviews and felt so inspired, I thought, "I need to finish this fic" and so I wrote furiously, and didn't get a wink of sleep, all to bring you this chapter. We are so close. Tell me what you think!

Please look forward to the LAST CHAPTER!


	20. chapter 20

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gundam Wing or anything related to it (except my plot!).

So here it is, the long journey is ending. This is the last chapter of White Mask, and I will be candid in saying I'm glad it's over! This story has taken a lot of work and energy to finish. There was a point when I thought of abandoning it, but then I kept getting reviews. I know it sounds extremely silly to say the reviews kept me going, but it true. To know that people are reading what I write and enjoying it makes me really happy. So thank you to all those who have put up with my erratic updates and continued to read. Please enjoy the last bit of this story. I won't disappoint.

White Mask by lmh

Chapter 20

。。。。

San Francisco 1945, February

It was yet another rainy day in San Francisco. Relena had learned early on that it was not advisable to wear light colors during the winter months, or at least during the more rainy days.

A day in which she had initially set out to have fun turned to mortification as the rain poured down and her pretty white dress turned translucent. She should have followed Noin's advice and worn a slip. But she had honestly no concept of how a woman was to wear these clothes. It was practically indecent, how high the hems of these dresses were, not to mention the skirts, which was something virtually unheard of in Gion. She had worn kimono all her life. Even during the summer, kimono were hardly translucent.

And all these American accessories were most confusing. Belts and shoes and earrings, bracelets, hats, necklaces and the like. Panties, brassieres, stockings and garters. Gods, it was dizzying. She just wanted to put on a kimono at times and be done with it. She did try, those first and nightmarish days when they came to America. Only strange looks and whispers were sent her way. A yellow haired girl in a Japanese robe? Later she learned how "un-patriotic" she had looked. Well, she thought, just days before she had been an "enemy" of this country. But it was all remedied quite quickly, thanks to her skin and hair color.

It was hard, very hard, those first few weeks. Even the hours after they left the shores of Japan, she was sure life was done. Of course it wasn't done. As she thought about it now, it had only begun, and what an insult to those who had fought to keep Hilde and her alive.

Catherine and Trowa had moved west with Hilde and her parents. It was Catherine's decision to do so, and she would let no one deter her from her "duty to Hilde" as she said. Sally went with them. As far as Relena knew, the Itoo okiya was out of business probably taken up by another strict woman with dreams of famous geisha walking her halls. Somewhere, deep in her mind, she was glad to be rid of it. However, the familiar life that she had in Japan was never far from her thoughts, always with a tinge of regret.

At times it all became too much and the emotions that had engulfed her: despair, grief, and fear were for once not for her, but for Heero.

And anger. She was so angry that he had stayed back. Of course, they could not have left Duo to die there. But over and over again, she asked herself, why Heero? Why did he always stay behind? Why did he always _choose_ to stay behind? There was never any outward appearance of concern or genuine camaraderie with others. She knew better of course, but believing the lies she told herself was something else entirely.

How did a person move on from such a revelation? She was once again an orphan and left to the mercy of those around her. Yes, she had Milliardo, who was doing his very best to make up for his past mistakes. But her parents, who were they? The question was never answered, and honestly, she was timid to press on the matter. The only images she had were jumbled inside her head, of all different kinds of people she thought her parents to be. Kind and loving or distant and cold. She didn't know what to think, and she never asked Milliardo.

Would he answer her if she did? He was a man who learned from the past, but he never spoke of it, nor did he dwell on it.

Then there was the plain fact of living with Kayumi, Noin rather. Although Relena had lived under the same roof with her for most of her life, the memories of all the bullying and mean quips hung over their heads and never seemed to clear. Relena understood what situation her brother and Noin had been in, and she did forgive, but she couldn't forget. What Noin, and Dorothy perpetuated, made Relena's memories of Japan all the much more bitter.

Catherine had been right about one thing: a geisha almost never chooses what happens in her life. It was always other people who decided for her.

But not anymore. Relena wasn't going to forget the sacrifice others had made for her. She wasn't going to forget Heero, even if he was no longer walking on this earth. As Milliardo told her when they moved out of the poor shelter and into an apartment, America was different from Japan. She was no longer a commodity. She didn't have to impress anyone. There was no tea to be poured, and no fan to hold. She could do what she wanted; it was all up to her now.

And that is what she did. After months of staying close to the cramped apartment she lived in with Milliardo and Noin, Relena began to venture out into the city. Milliardo was adamant about staying with her when she hopped on the cable car. He shadowed her from Chinatown to the ocean bay until Noin became fed up and directed him to other places. In other words, he got a job at a local textile factory. Relena was free to wander the city as she pleased.

Perhaps Noin was trying to apologize by doing so many kind things for Relena. She bought her clothes, she taught her how to speak, read, and write in English, and she was proactive for her. Especially when Relena found out a tiny little bookstore she loved to visit.

It was run by a kindly old woman. Her hair was long and grey, always tied up in a knot at the top of her head. Her back had a curve that always made her lean forward at a slight angle.

When Relena first found the shop, she had been out by herself, running to get out of the rain. The elderly woman, Mrs. Grace Adams was her name, was not put off by Relena's Asian sounding accent, nor did she get angry when Relena didn't understand her words. She was patient, and never seemed bothered by saying the same thing many times. She let Relena come to read anything she wanted, anytime, and she never pressured her to purchase anything.

Soon enough, it was common for Relena to go to the bookstore almost every day just to practice reading or to practice conversation with Mrs. Adams. It was especially pleasing when she was out food shopping with Milliardo and Noin, and she was able to direct the transactions herself, without too many mistakes.

It was Mrs. Adams who found a suitable school for Relena to go to. Despite her advanced age, Relena needed to go to high school and learn the basics, she said. It was unacceptable for her to wander the streets everyday like some delinquent.

Mrs. Adams chastised Milliardo for not sending Relena to school. After her first day, Relena chastised him too. She had never learned anything besides how to look pretty and dance beautifully. For her to learn maths and science was something so strange, yet she felt a sort of power rise in her chest.

Besides, her studies, however, there was something wanting in the way of friends.

She was an oddity to her classmates. Although she looked similar to them, she thought differently, acted differently, and sounded funny. Her accent caused more than a few problems for her. She told them in the best English she could manage that she had lived as a geisha in Kyoto. Of course they didn't know what a geisha was. In fact, some of the girls thought a geisha was the same thing as a prostitute.

She had the wonderful pleasure of having that title slapped on her head.

Besides what she learned in school, she didn't like the rest. Being known as a prostitute didn't do well for many assignments in which she had to work in groups or pairs. The girls wouldn't come within feet of her, as if they were afraid of catching a disease of some sort, and the boys reminded her of lecherous old men she used to entertain.

She didn't have enough English to explain to them what a geisha really was, and she certainly didn't have the words she needed to argue with them. Needless to say, she wasn't very popular at school. She only went when she had to, and spent the rest of her time in Mrs. Adams' bookshop.

It seemed a bother to tell Milliardo and Noin. They had already done so much for her, and were trying their best to atone for the way she had been treated in the past. The rumors and her classmates didn't bother her too much, at least she hadn't been propositioned for her 'services', not yet at least.

"What's wrong chick-pea?" Mrs. Adams said to her one day at the bookshop. She often called Relena by that name, whatever it meant.

Relena shook her head as she turned the page of a children's picture book. She was sitting in the bay window with the book in her hands, yet all she did was look out the window at the passing traffic and people.

"Nothing, Mrs. Adams," she said and smiled.

The thing about Mrs. Adams, she was quite clever. Nothing much escaped her eyes, and she was a surprising good judge of character. She picked up on Relena the first day they met.

She turned her head down at peered at Relena over her spectacles.

"I know that look," she said, "My daughter would look like that all the time when she was troubled."

"Daughter?" Relena said. Mrs. Adams rarely talked about her family. Mr. Adams had passed away, and she had one son in the war. This was the first Relena had heard of a daughter.

Mrs. Adams nodded. "Yes, my Emily. She's a nurse on the Western Front. God gave me brave children. But bravery takes them from me!"

Relena gave a weak smile as she tried to muster sympathy for Mrs. Adams.

"Tell me, my girl, what has got you so troubled?"

Relena shook her head again, but Mrs. Adams was having none of it.

"Come now! Tell me. I've years of child rearing under my belt."

Despite not knowing the many expressions used, Relena sighed. She heaved her back and slouched against the many pillows behind her.

"It is nothing," she said, but sighed again. "People at school, they are not nice."

Mrs. Adams frowned, "What did they do? Are they teasing you? Oh, children these days are complete barbarians. Nothing like my Emily and Harold," she said, the latter being her son.

"Oh, it is nothing," Relena said. "They mix up meaning of 'geisha'."

"Mixed it up? With what?" Mrs. Adams asked. Through much patience and a dictionary, they had pieced together the correct meaning of geisha and Gion together.

"Well," Relena began, hesitant. "Some girls in class think 'geisha' is like 'prostitute'."

Mrs. Adams' jaw dropped. She gasped and held her hand to her chest. With a scandalized look she leaned in close to Relena.

"A prostitute! Of all the ridiculous!…Why don't you say something?" She said as she gripped Relena's arm.

"I try! But I do not have the right English to tell them, I cannot tell them what geisha is. Now they think I am prostitute."

Mrs. Adams shook her head as she muttered under her breath. "Not right, damn rascals," she said. Relena didn't understand most of the mutterings, but she figured out quite well on her own that Mrs. Adams wasn't going down without a fight.

She took the shop keys from the register desk and stepped off her stool. She came round the counter and motioned for Relena to follow her.

"Where are you going?" Relena asked as she watched her walk towards the door.

"Your brother is going to hear of this. Then the school, and then those rotten students!"

"Oh, no, please don't," Relena said, but Mrs. Adams was already out on the street.

She stood holding the door open and her hand on her hip. She stared at Relena as if she was waiting, and indeed she was.

"Come on," she said.

Relena didn't dare disobey. In the back of her head the fear of a beating with a bamboo stick threatened her. Then she had to remind herself that Mother wasn't standing around the corner at the okiya, waiting for her to make a mistake.

。。。。

Things were somewhat better after that. Mrs. Adams stormed into Relena's apartment and waited for Milliardo and Noin to return. Soon enough, Milliardo was just as enraged. He, along with Mrs. Adams and Noin, stormed into the teacher's office at the school. All three of these adults lectured whichever teachers were there on the great injustices which had been committed against Relena. The teachers, and the principal apologized profusely, although Relena got the idea that they didn't know quite what they were apologizing for.

In any case, it was explained to students, by the teacher, who had it explained by Mrs. Adams and Milliardo, that a geisha was not a prostitute. Everything was smoothed out, it seemed. Though, they left out the part about _mizuage_.

She was no longer an untouchable, but now she was being pestered by her classmates to dance for them and do all sorts of things that geisha never did. They asked her about samurai and swords, and things about the war which she had no inclination of. They obviously thought that anything related to Japan also meant that it was related to being a geisha.

She only went to school when she had to, and spent the rest of her time in Mrs. Adams bookshop.

"Say, Relena," Mrs. Adams said to her one day.

Relena was sitting in her usual spot at the window. This time she was looking through an almanac of the world. A set of them had just come in and she was the first to crack the spine.

"Relena, would you like to work here?"

"What?" she said, perking up. Mrs. Adams was smiling as she sorted through a box of used books.

"Would you like to work here?" she repeated. "It's been getting hard for me, actually, to stay here all day. My back isn't so wonderful anymore and my doctor suggested that I rest at home more."

"Oh, I am sorry," Relena said as she put the almanac down. She hopped off the window seat at walked to the counter. Mrs. Adams looked up and smiled bitterly.

"Don't be," she said. "If you could work here after school and close up at eight that would help me out so much."

"But, why me?" Relena asked.

Mrs. Adams laughed to herself as she struggled to stand. Relena reached down to help her.

"My dear girl, why not you? You're always here, you might as well do it!"

"I…thank you, Mrs. Adams, I can do that."

"Oh, thank you, dear," she said and stroked Relena's check. "I'll pay you of course. Then you can go shopping with that lovely sister of yours."

"Oh, Noin is not my sister," Relena corrected.

Mrs. Adams grinned towards her has she cocked her head to one side.

"Oh, I don't know. She may be soon enough."

。。。。

That got Relena thinking, as she climbed a ladder at the bookshop one day. Milliardo and Noin seemed to have known each other for a very long time. They never tired of each other, and although neither of them were very affectionate, Relena would be a fool to not see the mutual feelings there.

She sighed to herself as she took one more step up the ladder. With all the balance she could manage, she lifted the stack of books in her hands and placed them atop the bookshelf. A shipment of used books had come in. Relena had spent most of the afternoon sorting and writing them into the catalogue. Now she had to find room for them on the shelves. It was an arduous task, and she would be in wonder if she didn't end up with allergies when she was done.

A cloud of dust exploded into her face as she wiped away at some of the old books. She coughed and tried to wave the clumps of grey stuff away. She would have to speak to Mrs. Adams about taking a duster to this mess daily. She crinkled her nose in disgust as she shoved books aside to make room.

The bell above the front door jingled as she heard several shoes scuffle on the hardwood floor.

"I will be with you in a moment!" she called over the many bookcases in the way. Mrs. Adams had taught her to say that very thing whenever she was detained away from customers.

There was no answer, however. She must have been too far back in the store for them to hear her. Well, she couldn't do anything about it at the moment. With five books in one hand and the other reaching for the more atop the bookshelf, she couldn't climb down the ladder without making a mess.

Then they began to walk around the store, casually, it sounded. They stopped at certain points, probably finding a book that piqued their interest. The shoes walked slowly up and down the aisles in front of her. She saw their heads bob up and down as they walked, but she wasn't tall enough to peek over the shelves at their faces. That required more climbing, which she was in no position to do.

Nevertheless, she tried to peek over the shelf anyway. Creeping up on her tip toes, she saw the tip of someone's ear. His hair was jet black and pulled close to his head. She heard someone laugh, but it wasn't this one here.

She felt her balance shift, and her heels slammed down on the ladder top. A book fell of the stack in her hand and made a loud smack on the floor.

"Excuse me," said one of them in English, suddenly at her side.

"Just a moment—oh!" She exclaimed as the ladder began to wobble. A pair of hands shot out underneath her and held the ladder firmly. It stopped shaking, but that didn't save the books.

They tumbled from her hands and landed square on the customer's head. She heard him grunt, just the slightest, and something caught in the back of her head.

"Oh, I am sorry!" she said as she climbed down the ladder as fast as she could. He bent down to pick up several books, and something in the quietness of him alerted her senses.

But as fast as she climbed down, time seemed to slow everything up for her. The tousled brown hair and how square his shoulders were, she was sure she had seen it somewhere before.

She took the last few steps cautiously. Her heart…was pounding against the cage of her chest, beating to get out. Gods, what was this. It was all so familiar, yet she didn't dare hope.

He rose, and she followed every shift in his clothing. His dark grey slacks were pressed firmly with a stark crease down the legs; his shirt was the same. Impeccable upkeep, it seemed so effortless. His movements were so effortless. He wore a coat, for the winter months she presumed. Oh, was it winter? She wondered. All reason had flown out the window as he straightened his back, and his face was clear to her.

Whatever books she was holding fell from her hands. She had quite forgotten everything else.

She thought of gasping, making some sort of noise, but she couldn't force herself. His face, his eyes, the tiny increment in which his mouth turned up into a smirk, it all blurred before her.

He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a blue handkerchief. It was ratty and worn at the edges, and there was a hideous rust colored stain all over it. The blue had faded into a periwinkle, as if the cloth had been scrubbed many times.

Relena did not fail to recognize it, the same bit of cloth she used to stop the bleeding on Heero's arm. The blood stain brought too much back to keep herself in check.

She took the handkerchief from him, staring at it. Droplets of water fell onto it; it was only then she realized she was meant to use it.

"You kept it," she said in Japanese. It felt the most natural thing to do, thought it was probably not the most intelligible thing to say. She should have said something else; profess her feelings, or welcome him, but her mind was other places. Far in the past.

"Yes," he said. Short…of course. He replied in Japanese, and it felt so familiar to her. Images of lantern lit teahouses and parties with men of all kinds came back to her.

She pressed it to her eyes and saw the tears it soaked up. For so many years she had dreamed of this day, when she could look him in the eye and tell him everything which was unsaid. But now that the day was upon her, she could barely say anything.

"How? I saw you there…you broke your promise," she said, then winced. He was finally here in front of her and all she was doing was attacking him.

He barely smiled in that way of his. "I'm here now," he said, "I'm still alive."

"Yes," she said.

"After you were safe on the ship, I went after Duo. If it wasn't for Wufei, we wouldn't have made the narrow escape we did."

"But how did you stay alive, with the war, I can't imagine it was safe for Duo."

"We hid," he said with a touch of bitterness. "Like fugitives we hid and ran. For years we lived in the remote country, the mountains, the small and secluded islands. Duo was never outside except for night. Then the Americans came, and we did all we could do to hurry south."

"And, Duo and Wufei are all right?" she asked, remembering the others who saved her life, and Hilde's.

"Yes, they're in here, somewhere," he said, glancing around. "Duo has the mind to go to New York, we hear that's were Hilde and her parents went."

"Yes, there is a very strong German community there, she said."

Relena nodded as she turned her gaze away. It was just too good to believe. Against all odds, all three of them made it out. Somehow, by the by, they had all lived. Here he was, in front of her

She took the books from his hands, at a loss of what else to do. She looked down to her feet and tried to grasp at the thoughts racing through her head.

"What are you going to do now?" she began, but movement behind them caught her eyes.

"Hey there!" said a cheerful Duo. He popped out from behind the stacks. The first thing she noticed was the limp he walked with. It did not diminish his happy state. He was smiling and immediately took her hand in his.

"How're you doing, Relena," he asked, "I can't believe it's been so long. It's good to see you…really good. Great."

She returned his shake with as much vigor as she could muster.

"It's good to see you too, Duo," she said, feeling so very comfortable speaking a familiar language with these familiar people. "I thought I would never see you again."

She said it fully meaning to engross herself with Duo, but she glanced again and again towards Heero as she spoke.

This was…just unreal.

She had hoped and cried for this day to come, but she never thought it would become a reality. Never. She always kept the appearance of a girl who has come to terms with her past and never expected too much anymore. She told herself time and time again that wishing for him to show up in front of her would not make it a reality. It was as if the harder she wished, the more it seemed impossible.

And she made herself believe that. He was not going to come. He sacrificed himself for her. No man could make it out of that situation alive, no man, not even Heero who had gone through so much for her sake.

Yet here he was, standing in front of her with Duo and she still didn't want to believe it. She expected to wake any moment now.

She smiled as Duo said something to her, but she was quite in her own thoughts. This only made room for hundreds more questions to sprout up in her mind. Were they going to stay? Heero had said something about New York, but that was what Duo wanted. Would Heero go with him? What would Milliardo say? Already Relena was thinking of all the counter-arguments she could lay down before Milliardo. Would he accept Heero? Would he turn him away with no more than a sideways glance?

"Relena," he said to her, taking her arm in that familiar way. A flash of a dimly lit tea house sparked in her mind.

She followed his direction and saw Wufei walk around the corner. He was dressed much like Heero and Duo; slacks with a button down shirt and an over-jacket. Despite his un-American look, she thought he blended in quite well.

He nodded to her in a polite gesture before pausing behind Duo.

She wanted to speak, to say something. She felt it was right to embrace Duo and Wufei, but only selfish desires were able to get through. She wanted them to fade away, just for a few moments. Was it so selfsish to ask for that.

"Relena," he said to her.

Realizing she had drifeted off again, she snapped her attention to them. A knowing smile slipped onto Duo's lips and he glanced back towards Wufei. He glanced between Relena and Heero before chuckling to himself and turning away down another aisle.

"We'll be around," Duo said as he followed Wufei.

Relena's cheeks flushed hot as she warily looked to Heero. There was no grin on his face, nor was there the frown she had seen when she confronted him all those years ago. He was just…there. His face was calm, content, perhaps.

"Where will you go?" she asked quiet as a door mouse. She shifted her gaze away and looked down to the floor.

"Duo want's to see New York, but I think I've had enough traveling."

She brought her head up, eyes wide, hopeful. "Enough traveling?" she said, cautious.

He nodded and took a step closer. "What do you think?"

"I…" she said.

This was…this couldn't be real. She couldn't be sure as to what he was asking. He never came out and said what he wanted to say, or didn't want to do. Furthermore, she didn't know what to say to him, after all these years. She would like to think the things which were exchanged between them all those years ago still held true. It had been so long since then, and she didn't know.

"I need to know," she said, "You told me, you promised me you would live to an old age."

He nodded. "Yes, I hope I can."

"Any idea of where you would like to do so?"

He looked up towards the ceiling in thought. He grumbled to himself. "San Francisco is a good enough place, I think."

Her heart jumped and caught in her throat. She felt her nerves vibrate up and down her limbs, tingling as they went. Thinking only of what she could say, she reached out for his hand. He didn't recoil. In fact, he reached out towards her.

"Yes," she said, "San Francisco is a good place."

She heard him chuckle quietly to himself, barely audible. He took a step closer. She could see the deep clarity of his eyes, the small glimmer of satisfaction and, she hoped, happiness. The heady scent of him filled her nose and she found herself leaning into him. He didn't resist.

"Relena," he said.

She buried her face in his shoulder and reached her harms around his waist. She couldn't help herself. She sniffed up a fresh wave of tears, she squeezed her eyes shut and prayed that he would stay. She would give so much for things to stay the way they were right at this moment.

"Relena," he said again.

His arms wound their way around and pulled her close. She sighed and her chest heaved under yet another sob. Only this time she was content.

"Heero," she said. "I'm not asking much, just please don't make me worry about you. It's been so long, too long."

"Relena," he said again and pulled away enough to look her in the eye. She followed his gaze as he glanced behind them.

She pivoted the slightest and turned her head. Gasping to herself she gave a little jump as she saw Mrs. Adams standing at the end of the isle. She had her hands on her hips and a frown on her face.

"Relena, is this working?" she said as she cocked her head to one side.

Relena stepped back from Heero, placing and arm's length behind them. She looked down at her feet and felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

"Mrs. Adams…I-"

"Remember that you have school tomorrow," Mrs. Adams said as she turned around. Relena could have been mistaken, but she thought she could see Mrs. Adams wink before walking back around the shelf.

Turning around, Rlena sheepishly looked up towards Heero. He glanced down at her and the tell-tale sign of a hidden smile was barely noticeable; but she knew it was there. In the short amount of time she had known him, she could see these little increments of his character inching out, reaching out to others.

"Where will you stay?" she asked.

In thought, he grumbled again.

"Who knows," he said, "I suppose any place will do."

"Well," she said with a sly smile, one reminiscent of what her older sister taught her, a smile to draw men in and make them believe what one wanted. A flash of a teahouse went through her mind and she imagined that party, all those years ago.

"I hope you and Milliardo can play nice," she said.

He chuckled.

"We'll see," he said.

"Yes," she said and leaned in closer, "Yes. We will see, for a long, long, long time to come."

* * *

White Mask by lmh. Completed December 9th, 2008.

**AN**: There you have it. White Mask completed. I would like to make a few notes about the story, something for you all to think about as you walk away. I really hated making Trieze the villian. Though as I assigned stock roles, that is where he was caught and where he was forced to stay. Trieze is a character who got the short stick, a man born in the wrong time and place. He would have fit right in during the 18th and 19th centuries. If I have him in future stories, I hope my view of him is much more balanced. Of course, when I started writing this story, I didn't know as much about the characters and I made "popular" choices with the way I wrote them. I hope my characterizations have improved over the years.

I am also sorry for not having more Heero/Relena moments. This story took on a huge task in writing about WWII and geishas and human trafficking and espionage...whew! I feel as if I bit off more than I could chew and the relationships between the characters may have suffered because of it. I'm not sorry Heero and Relena didn't kiss at the end. I value what is unsaid and undone much more than otherwise. Perhaps that's just me. Either way, I hope I didn't disappoint you all.

In other news, I have started a Death Note fic, starring Mikami Teru and a character I made up. Yes, it's an OC, but read the reviews to see what others are saying. It is NOT a Mary Sue. Please go check it out if that's your cup o' tea.

I'm also in the process of writing a Wu Fei-centric fic, set in the AC timeline (not AU). I'm doing my best to bring the Gundam Wing world to life, including the little things which we take for granted (like toaster ovens! I don't know what I'd do without one...). So please look forward to that, whenever I decide to start posting it (what I have so far).

Sorry for the incredibly long postscript! I have so much to say, and hardly any room to write it. Thank you again, hope to see your reviews soon!

p.s.s.-- Everytime I get a review, I look up who's writing it, so I know who you all are! I may not reply, but I do see and appreciate every single one of them!

-lmh


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